Whilst watching the turmoil that seems to be escalating in the Brexit situation, I can't help feeling that the our football club is having its own meltdown in some quarters. In both cases many of the Joe Public punters on the sidelines are left watching and wondering how the hell things came to this.

On the positive side of the football situation we see an increase of good news coming out of the club on the non playing side. Earlier in the year we had a revamp of the website to exude a more professional appearance to the outside world. We have a appointed a Commercial Manager to get things moving on income streams that are not dependent on the fluctuating fortunes that can bedevil even the best laid plans on the pitch. And we now have Simon Hahn appointed to help with the better promotion of the club's media to hopefully broadcast the reasons why more people should attend matches. There has been a good deal of positive news stories to match these efforts, frequently bringing the club closer to the community by associating collections for good causes with the efforts of the club or individuals within it.

All of this is great and would perfectly compliment a great product on the field of play if that was what was being provided. In the end the hard work of savvy business people running the club has been put in place to bring in more people and more revenue to help run an alternative brand of entertainment that many of us, as fans, feel that the town would be very much the poorer for losing. But getting the commercial and promotional side of things right and working efficiently is not an end in itself. You can blather on all you like about how wonderful your product is but if the people who try it out are given a bum experience they will ignore all the effort that has gone into getting them there and won't be willing to give it any second chances.

So the club is doing a much better job of trying to get the message out there, but it it is worth nothing if you cannot provide the back up of a product that people will want to come back to again and again. If the Civic Theatre had only had its makeover and given itself a new name, but failed to bring in plays and acts that people wanted to see then all the money invested in bringing it up to date would have been for nothing and punters would stop going. Happily this does not appear to be the case, but Darlington Football Club must work to the same set of values and it can't expect people to come to an entertainment that has only a half fit, and poorly directed cast, some of whom may not be able to commit to being available at every performance and who have no reliable understudies when they do cry off.

We need to get rid of the short-termism that is ingrained in the supporters minds.

Having a commercial manager who is there to increase revenue streams is not going to have an instant impact. Having an academy that produces saleable assets is not going to have an instant impact.

Yes relegation would be a huge backward step, and avoiding it should the the bare minimum expectation, but I think we do need to start thinking a little more long term - building infrastructure back up so we can compete at this level. We won't do that just by throwing money at the playing squad to the extent we end up in the s*** again.

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Just keep playing a poor standard of football won't improve the attendances though will it

Spot on. The club is putting building blocks in place for what will hopefully be long term success. We need to keep an eye on the big picture.

What exactly is the big picture though? How do we go from a club which seemingly can barely afford to exist in the conference north to one which can feasibly think about promotion to the conference, all with zero money and negligible money making capabilities? The end of the 500 club will help us afford this level, and I'm sure Morley will help revenue generation - but at BM I imagine there's limitations as to just what he's capable of. Outside of those 2, I struggle to see how we're going to have a major jump in regular income which will help us grow to the next level. But maybe I'm missing something.

I await DJs update on the future of the club and the options open to us with anticipation (and nervousness)!

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http://buytickets.at/dfcsg

"seemingly" is the word. Without the B.T.B fund our allotted money to spend on the squad this season would be what, £165,000? And this situation worries me for next year because will people stump up again? As the B.T.B. thing, well it hasn't really taken off because what we've seen lately is our squad getting weaker as better players get sold off!

The statements from the club don't really offer much insight.

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Mr Singh said this " I'm not expecting to get back any of the money I've already put in, I'm prepared to write it off for the future of the club. I'm not hanging in to make any kind of financial gain in the short or long term - if someone was prepared to come in and take the club off my hands, I'd be more than willing to discuss it"

Tamworth matchday programme 26 Nov 2011

The reason we seemingly can’t exist is that, in my mind, we’re in a false position. We surged up the pyramid on a tide of positivity but essentially on foundations of sand. How many times have we nearly gone bust...again...in that period of time? Four maybe??? The ‘playoff’ (seats) season saw us at the peak of our powers on the field but at the peak of our financial limits, maybe even stretching ourselves beyond them to a dangerous level. Our current struggles in this league, in my humble opinion, are just us resettling back to the position we ‘should’ be in based on our capabilities. We all cheered enthusiastically our lofty position in League 2 and our marquee signings...Joachim, Abbott et al, but ultimately our rise was built with money we didn’t really have, as pointed out by other fans at the time of our eventual demise. Maybe we’re not a true NLN club after all, not at least until we’re solid off the field?

The football landscape has also changed rapidly since our renaissance, even, one could argue, since we reached the NLN. Recently there has been a rise in the number of clubs who have found financial backing from one source or another. In the past in this league gates of 1,400 would have guaranteed us a decent budget, but now, as we have seen, it's one of the lowest. We're seemingly constantly playing catch-up.

Not so long back gates of 1400 would have been decent in conference premier


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I may not live in the north east anymore but i still support the north east teams

Vic, we are 7th in the recent table for attendances - this must give us room to compete, then of course there is the BTB money on top. I can't accept that this league is too much for us.


1 Stockport County 3,195
2 York City 2,447
3 Hereford 2,341
4 Chester 1,819
5 FC United of Manchester 1,814
6 Kidderminster Harriers 1,660
7 Darlington 1,457
8 Chorley 1,448
9 AFC Telford United 1,387
10 Altrincham 1,149
11 Boston United 1,138
12 Southport 1,034
13 Spennymoor Town 873
14 Guiseley 719
15 Leamington 694
16 Blyth Spartans 665
17 Nuneaton Borough 602
18 Brackley Town 562
19 Bradford (Park Avenue) 532
20 Alfreton Town 516
21 Curzon Ashton 510
22 Ashton United 296
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Mr Singh said this " I'm not expecting to get back any of the money I've already put in, I'm prepared to write it off for the future of the club. I'm not hanging in to make any kind of financial gain in the short or long term - if someone was prepared to come in and take the club off my hands, I'd be more than willing to discuss it"

Tamworth matchday programme 26 Nov 2011

But many of the 1,457 have already stumped up their ackers many moons ago and that money was essentially used to plug holes in our finances already created through our unsustainably rapid march back up the pyramid. I’d imagine that our match day takings are actually pretty meagre

I could not do it , but it would be interesting to see how many of the above have financial backing/sugar daddies, that would show how un level the playing field really is.

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I am sick of hearing the bitching on about the 500 club money not going into the football club at the moment, oh how wrong you are, as a 500+1member
I and others contribute in still paying at the turnstiles not every home game but do when I can , also buy extra 50/50 tickets which goes to help the club and always buy items from club shop when gifts are needed for family members, I know of one who purchased for sons and grandsons in Australia who as I said is 500 club member, its not like we paid our money five years ago and that's it, we do contribute a lot in others ways. We are darlington fans and don't need to hear this bitching. Think before posting please. It gets a bit to much. Blaming the 500 club time and time again after they were first monies to help save the club.

That's a weird reaction to something that definitely wasn't an attack. No one is criticising the 500 club members, at all. It does, however, undeniably leave a hole in the finances.

We need a few years to stabilise. We're more than capable of being a conference national, and even league side again, but the infrastructure and off the field size is nowhere near the required level yet. We need to stay in this division, sort if out, and with that, hopefully the crowds will grow organically as people come back.

Oh shut up man, nobody is bitching. You're having a hissy fit for no reason. Nobody is saying that you don't contribute in other ways, they are simply stating the FACT that the club has already had the ST income from 500 club members and won't get any more ST income from most of theses members until their memberships expires.

This means we don't have as much income as we otherwise would have. Fact.

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TAFKAQ

@1883Of

I agree. You've completely read into that. It's always the same, as soon as someone mentions the 500 club, a 500 club member spits their dummy out.

I agree, think you've read something into it that wasn't meant at all. The 500 club have been brilliant. Presume it was just about when it's over we'll be in a better place!

That was exactly how I read it.

I can't see how it can be taken to be a criticism of the 500 club members at all. Without them there would be no club today

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Alan Robson, is that you?

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18/19 Season:
LDWDLDLWDLLWWWDDDDLLLLWDWWLWDLLDWD

*includes all cup games*

Not only that, but how many pay £65k a year rent and give at least half of their matchday takings over to their landlords? I know people say there's no money in pies and pints but it all counts.

To carry on our upward trajectory we probably needed 1500+ to bridge the spending of the 500 money and worrying about it later. As it stands, we just haven't capitalized on moving back in to the town and it appears we've signed up to a commercially poor deal.

Add to the fact that within 1 hours drive you've got 3-4 clubs paying more than us for players in the area without the huge pull of Martin "winner" Gray, who still lost out to Spenny etc on players himself, and you can see why we are struggling.

Ultimately it comes down to the infrastructure and the ability to generate some momentum in regards to attendances. We need new blood, a couple of hundred, turning up week in, week out. Failing that we need a hybrid model of fan/private ownership who can subsidize the Club ever so slightly, allowing more risks to be taken on transfers etc, however this doesn't sit right with me.

Commercially, Morley will take time to turn a profit, that's normal, but he won't be adding thousands to the playing budget every week. His main remit for me is get round the table with the Rugby Club and try and move some of the more profitable %'s back into our coffers.

As a supporter , both financially and morally , but not a "fan" as such , progression is not going to happen at Blackwell. I have been to 2 matches there and the "experience" was awful. At the moment there is nothing making me thinking of going back. IF Darlington were to be promoted to the conference and money WAS raised to develop the ground to Football League level , I do not think the rugby club will let you do so. A 10000 capacity at Blackwell , shared with the rugby club? Tv positions , media facilities , parking , etc etc ? Nah ! I personally (i may be wrong) think if the club stays at BM , then this is as far as it can go , sadly.

If the rumours are to believed Truro get 0% of their home game receipts whilst ground sharing at Torquay

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