Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

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divas
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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by divas » Thu Mar 15, 2018 12:51 pm

loan_star wrote:
jjljks wrote:Darlington Council have no spare cash so we have to stand on our own when it comes to financing the future. We need to get a consensus of opinion in order to create a master plan that is realistic and enables a sustainable future. The new Board have done a good job in stabilising the club post MG, but now need to outline our strategy for the next 5 years. More solid information, please.
I heard somewhere that DBC had bailed MPRFC out of a situation where a certain ex chairman of ours had a charge on the arena. Money for rugby but not for football.
DBC guarantors of a new more substantial loan that MPRFC have taken out to repay the £800K owed to Raj according to Companies House. I don’t expect DBC would have entered into that without being certain that they were going to use some of the Arena land for housing at least to pay back the loan as there is no way MPRFC could pay this back from operating profits (losses). Interesting times ahead.

I expect the £800k that Raj has just received back which he probably wasn’t expecting will be used on his next property project - Hartlepool United.

LoidLucan
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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by LoidLucan » Thu Mar 15, 2018 1:13 pm

Darlington council has just received £663,000 from developers of land at blackwell golf course for housing which will be used to help relocate the cattle market and build affordable homes in neasham road. This must be the above.
As an aside the council has let the blackwell developers destroy loads of trees, leaving it looking like a hurricane zone. The west end of town is going nuts about it.

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divas
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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by divas » Thu Mar 15, 2018 1:27 pm

DBC haven’t parted with any cash. The loan has come from a private company. DBC have just guaranteed in case MPRFC default

LoidLucan
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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by LoidLucan » Thu Mar 15, 2018 1:31 pm

I just meant that this is presumably the neasham road housing development.

Alfie
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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by Alfie » Thu Mar 15, 2018 1:59 pm

I thought the rugby club were rolling in money after selling their previous ground - has it all gone already?

Darlo_Pete
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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by Darlo_Pete » Thu Mar 15, 2018 2:02 pm

Alfie wrote:I thought the rugby club were rolling in money after selling their previous ground - has it all gone already?
Yes it went a while ago. I heard that they've had to borrow from one company, then had to get a further loan from English Rugby to pay off the original loan. Still what do you expect on such low crowds?

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divas
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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by divas » Thu Mar 15, 2018 3:45 pm

LoidLucan wrote:I just meant that this is presumably the neasham road housing development.

Ahhh got ya!

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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by onewayup » Thu Mar 15, 2018 4:20 pm

Mprc, did not receive what was reported at the time of sale from their old ground, far less than was quoted in press land. I've heard several times. The monster stadium eats money.

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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by Darlo_Pete » Thu Mar 15, 2018 4:26 pm

onewayup wrote:Mprc, did not receive what was reported at the time of sale from their old ground, far less than was quoted in press land. I've heard several times. The monster stadium eats money.
What do they expect on crowds of under a 1000 and they have long trips down to the south west? As far as I know, all the money from the sale of their former ground has gone. They're on borrowed time before the **** hits the fan.

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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by AndyPark » Thu Mar 15, 2018 6:02 pm

Admins, any chance yet?

quakerste
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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by quakerste » Thu Mar 15, 2018 6:47 pm

Mr_Pickle wrote:Next steps for Blackwell Meadows...demolish it?
Then build houses on it.

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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by banktopp » Thu Mar 15, 2018 7:05 pm

AndyPark wrote:Admins, any chance yet?
Seconded.

Neil Johnson
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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by Neil Johnson » Thu Mar 15, 2018 7:20 pm

We could salvage some seats from the Reynolds Folly when it does get bull-dozed and put them in storage, but preferably we could get the seats we already own back from HP and fill some gaps. I suppose any expenditure on terracing will be stymied by years of political & commercial indecision about the "sports hub" bollocks.

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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by Darlo-and-Back » Thu Mar 15, 2018 8:37 pm

divas wrote:
loan_star wrote:
jjljks wrote:Darlington Council have no spare cash so we have to stand on our own when it comes to financing the future. We need to get a consensus of opinion in order to create a master plan that is realistic and enables a sustainable future. The new Board have done a good job in stabilising the club post MG, but now need to outline our strategy for the next 5 years. More solid information, please.
I heard somewhere that DBC had bailed MPRFC out of a situation where a certain ex chairman of ours had a charge on the arena. Money for rugby but not for football.
DBC guarantors of a new more substantial loan that MPRFC have taken out to repay the £800K owed to Raj according to Companies House. I don’t expect DBC would have entered into that without being certain that they were going to use some of the Arena land for housing at least to pay back the loan as there is no way MPRFC could pay this back from operating profits (losses). Interesting times ahead.

I expect the £800k that Raj has just received back which he probably wasn’t expecting will be used on his next property project - Hartlepool United.

That’s fascinating Divas. Wonder how RS got to be loaning MPRFC £800k and why DBC would even contemplate being a guarantor. Any insights?

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Re: Next steps for Blackwell Meadows

Post by Darlo-and-Back » Thu Mar 15, 2018 8:44 pm

50 years wrote:Difficult decisions for the fans over the next year on how to finance any promotion push. Assume we break even this year with no debt (quite likely given what was said at the AGM ), we know that playing budget will be cut next year (fans able to increase that with donations), so may make a small profit next year. Problem comes if we get promoted the year after, budget will need to increase substantially I would expect, travel and overnight accommodation increased and by the end of the year would need to spend I assume as a minimum £200k to build retracing at open end to meet league requirements. Understand that league money is only about £30k a year more so a fair bit to make up (Chester, Halifax etc struggling with council owned grounds )- just how to do it?

Sell a few players for good money and replace with young local talent.
Good cup run (better chance under TW & AW than MG )
500 fans with standing order to Darlo for £10 per week (unlikely to get that many )

It's going to be hard to keep all this going to get to and maintain national league but if we can actually get to the FL we should be sustainable with little fans financial input ( look at Accrington Stanley) - dreaming I know :D

Hope D. Johnson stays as CEO as we will need his business accuman.

"Up the Quakers"

Our club has had enough businessmen with acumen to see us through three administrations. We’ll stick with fans thanks.

“Up the Acumen”

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