Darlington v Chester

Open now for discussion of all things Darlo!

Moderators: mikkyx, uncovered

jjljks
Posts: 3014
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2015 10:25 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by jjljks » Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:00 am

Nice touch to see recognition on the club website of Dave Purdie's role in sorting out the floodlight problems. Also quick thinking by Craig Morley in realising there was a fully qualified electrician in hospitality. DP almost as responsible for the win as Holness & Donawa!

User avatar
theoriginalfatcat
Posts: 6717
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:40 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by theoriginalfatcat » Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:34 am

jjljks wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:00 am
Nice touch to see recognition on the club website of Dave Purdie's role in sorting out the floodlight problems. Also quick thinking by Craig Morley in realising there was a fully qualified electrician in hospitality. DP almost as responsible for the win as Holness & Donawa!
It was a good job D.P. was there at the time but it's left me wondering about what contingency plans are in place if ever another situation like this arises, and shouldn't this responsibility fall onto the shoulders of the Rugby club? It's their equipment in question and we pay them handsomely to use it.
Profile pic ↗️
Feethams the Panda. 28 Jan 2012.
Now extinct!

User avatar
Quaker85
Posts: 1028
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:38 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by Quaker85 » Wed Dec 11, 2019 10:02 am

Like I said on Saturday, it depends on what’s written in the tenancy agreement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

JE93
Posts: 1855
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:48 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by JE93 » Wed Dec 11, 2019 11:27 am

Quaker85 wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 10:02 am
Like I said on Saturday, it depends on what’s written in the tenancy agreement.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No tenants here. Only Licensees here, we have a license to play there on matchdays, that was key in their terminology to the agreement. No rights of exclusive use, so you would hope that as part of that agreement there are terms requiring the rugby club to maintain assets in keeping the ground in a fit state for use under the license.

Question is,who own's the floodlights? They were upgraded as part of the ground upgrade, but who actually owns those assets. Within that you will probably find who is likely responsible for the upkeep.

User avatar
loan_star
Posts: 7105
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:01 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by loan_star » Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:32 pm

The only assets we have down there are the stands which I guess we will have to maintain.
Its up to the rugby club to ensure everything else is up to standard and in full working order.
Plus the floodlights were in place long before we ever turned up. They may have been upgraded but they belong to the rugby club.
It would be like someone booking 5 a side at the Dolphin and having to change the bulbs in order to play.

User avatar
theoriginalfatcat
Posts: 6717
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:40 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by theoriginalfatcat » Wed Dec 11, 2019 1:14 pm

I'm biting my lip trying not to mention the clock.

OOOPS............
Profile pic ↗️
Feethams the Panda. 28 Jan 2012.
Now extinct!

JE93
Posts: 1855
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:48 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by JE93 » Wed Dec 11, 2019 2:00 pm

loan_star wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 12:32 pm
The only assets we have down there are the stands which I guess we will have to maintain.
Its up to the rugby club to ensure everything else is up to standard and in full working order.
Plus the floodlights were in place long before we ever turned up. They may have been upgraded but they belong to the rugby club.
It would be like someone booking 5 a side at the Dolphin and having to change the bulbs in order to play.
I presumed that was the case, but wasn't sure if as part of the upgrade we had purchased and installed the floodlight units. As you say then for the RC to attend to. Out of interest loan star, you say we only own the stands, what about the toilet block units? are they purchased or leased by the FC or the RC?

User avatar
divas
Posts: 13213
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:38 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by divas » Wed Dec 11, 2019 7:31 pm

Toilets leased

User avatar
Quaker85
Posts: 1028
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:38 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by Quaker85 » Wed Dec 11, 2019 8:09 pm

divas wrote:Toilets leased
By whom?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

lo36789
Posts: 10929
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:58 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by lo36789 » Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:33 pm

theoriginalfatcat wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:34 am
jjljks wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:00 am
Nice touch to see recognition on the club website of Dave Purdie's role in sorting out the floodlight problems. Also quick thinking by Craig Morley in realising there was a fully qualified electrician in hospitality. DP almost as responsible for the win as Holness & Donawa!
It was a good job D.P. was there at the time but it's left me wondering about what contingency plans are in place if ever another situation like this arises, and shouldn't this responsibility fall onto the shoulders of the Rugby club? It's their equipment in question and we pay them handsomely to use it.
It is their job to fix it but I wouldn't get too caught up in contingency etc. This sort of thing happens all the time. At all levels of football. I would have expected there to be an emergency number / electrician for these type of things but sounds like we actually had one there on the day.

Its happened at Millwall, Aberdeen, Feyenoord and Burton Albion in the past 2 years. Yes it is more common at non-league grounds but can really happen anywhere google "abandoned floodlight failure". In fact didn't it nearly put the Harrogate Town v Portsmouth game in doubt the other week?

I barely know a match official (who operates on games with floodlights) who hasn't had an abandonment or prolonged delay due to floodlight failure.

User avatar
HarrytheQuaker
Posts: 3148
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:57 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by HarrytheQuaker » Wed Feb 05, 2020 2:48 am

They took 677 to York on Saturday... It really baffles me why they didn't travel in there numbers too us!!! 🙄🙄

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk



User avatar
divas
Posts: 13213
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:38 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by divas » Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:19 am

Because our away end and facilities are terrible?

User avatar
don'tbuythesun
Posts: 2397
Joined: Mon Sep 13, 2010 12:24 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by don'tbuythesun » Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:39 am

I don't think that would ever or has ever put me off going to a game. I'm particularly intrigued with Basford United who I admit I'd never heard of until I was surfing this morning. They hold 1600 so I wonder what promotion would mean for their facilities?

super_les_mcjannet
Posts: 5995
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:41 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by super_les_mcjannet » Wed Feb 05, 2020 9:27 am

don'tbuythesun wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:39 am
I don't think that would ever or has ever put me off going to a game. I'm particularly intrigued with Basford United who I admit I'd never heard of until I was surfing this morning. They hold 1600 so I wonder what promotion would mean for their facilities?
To be honest we often get larger Darlo away followings at the better grounds, Stockport, Chester, York however that could also have a Football League throwback element to it.

Whilst it would be a long term investment and we would need to stay at BM then decent away facilities should be the next step. Also if you increase away crowds you would expect the atmposphere could/would improve and it has a knock on effect on home crowds also.

User avatar
Quaker85
Posts: 1028
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2018 7:38 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by Quaker85 » Wed Feb 05, 2020 10:05 am

HarrytheQuaker wrote:They took 677 to York on Saturday... It really baffles me why they didn't travel in there numbers too us!!! ImageImage

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
677 v the 50 or so that came to us is quite an alarming disparity given the relatively short additional distance.

Probably various elements at play but the ground facilities must be a major factor.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

User avatar
divas
Posts: 13213
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:38 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by divas » Wed Feb 05, 2020 11:00 am

I’d expect a fair few would have taken the opportunity to stop in York to sample the local hospitality too. Probably a bigger pull than a night out in Darlo!

H1987
Posts: 2073
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2016 4:14 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by H1987 » Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:52 pm

It's the trip to York.

I'm a pretty vocal supporter of getting a terrace in at the empty end and improving Blackwell, but does anyone honestly believe there being a terrace at the open end would have made any difference? After all, that's all you get at York.

York is just an attractive away day because it's pretty accessible for a lot of the country, and it's also a good day out on the beer. Darlington ain't.

JE93
Posts: 1855
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:48 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by JE93 » Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:03 pm

H1987 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:52 pm
It's the trip to York.

I'm a pretty vocal supporter of getting a terrace in at the empty end and improving Blackwell, but does anyone honestly believe there being a terrace at the open end would have made any difference? After all, that's all you get at York.

York is just an attractive away day because it's pretty accessible for a lot of the country, and it's also a good day out on the beer. Darlington ain't.
Add to that it's also their final season at Bootham Crescent.

spen666
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2012 9:12 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by spen666 » Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:36 pm

JE93 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:03 pm
H1987 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:52 pm
It's the trip to York.

I'm a pretty vocal supporter of getting a terrace in at the empty end and improving Blackwell, but does anyone honestly believe there being a terrace at the open end would have made any difference? After all, that's all you get at York.

York is just an attractive away day because it's pretty accessible for a lot of the country, and it's also a good day out on the beer. Darlington ain't.
Add to that it's also their final season at Bootham Crescent.

It will be interesting to see if it is as popular an away trip when they are in their new ground, which is far less accessible for those going for a day on the drink

User avatar
divas
Posts: 13213
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:38 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by divas » Wed Feb 05, 2020 4:21 pm

H1987 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:52 pm
It's the trip to York.

I'm a pretty vocal supporter of getting a terrace in at the empty end and improving Blackwell, but does anyone honestly believe there being a terrace at the open end would have made any difference? After all, that's all you get at York.

York is just an attractive away day because it's pretty accessible for a lot of the country, and it's also a good day out on the beer. Darlington ain't.
Anecdotally it would make some difference when you listen to opposing fans who have made the trip or decided not to. Who knows to what degree but watching football with little elevation (grass bank does help a bit thankfully) is awful

H1987
Posts: 2073
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2016 4:14 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by H1987 » Wed Feb 05, 2020 4:51 pm

divas wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 4:21 pm
H1987 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:52 pm
It's the trip to York.

I'm a pretty vocal supporter of getting a terrace in at the empty end and improving Blackwell, but does anyone honestly believe there being a terrace at the open end would have made any difference? After all, that's all you get at York.

York is just an attractive away day because it's pretty accessible for a lot of the country, and it's also a good day out on the beer. Darlington ain't.
Anecdotally it would make some difference when you listen to opposing fans who have made the trip or decided not to. Who knows to what degree but watching football with little elevation (grass bank does help a bit thankfully) is awful
I totally agree, and I think we absolutely should do something as soon as we can, even if we're stuck in this league. A few raised steps would make a big difference, let alone a whole terrace. *But* I genuinely doubt it stops people going to games. Generally at this level, you're going because it's either a local game, you're a diehard supporter, or it's a good day out (see York, maybe Gateshead for a day on the lash in Newcastle, but that's hurt by being an awful, soulless bowl). It's my suspicion that it makes very little difference to those who choose to come or not to come.

If you choose not to go because it's just hard standing, I suspect you weren't that bothered about the game in the first place.

(There's absolutely something to be said for making it a good matchday experience to entice casual fans in also, by the way. Anyone who has been to Dulwich Hamlet could see this first hand, they've got a great set up... but that's focused on home fans - i doubt it does anything at all for away numbers).

User avatar
divas
Posts: 13213
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:38 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by divas » Wed Feb 05, 2020 5:31 pm

Yeah there’s so much that could be done to improve things - lots of which have been discussed with our landlords and cold water poured on them sadly. Somethings got to give at some point.

Old Git
Posts: 3215
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2019 9:09 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by Old Git » Wed Feb 05, 2020 6:10 pm

No more money to be spent on Blackwell. It would be stupid to contemplate it .

User avatar
theoriginalfatcat
Posts: 6717
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:40 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by theoriginalfatcat » Wed Feb 05, 2020 6:11 pm

spen666 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:36 pm
JE93 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:03 pm
H1987 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:52 pm
It's the trip to York.

I'm a pretty vocal supporter of getting a terrace in at the empty end and improving Blackwell, but does anyone honestly believe there being a terrace at the open end would have made any difference? After all, that's all you get at York.

York is just an attractive away day because it's pretty accessible for a lot of the country, and it's also a good day out on the beer. Darlington ain't.
Add to that it's also their final season at Bootham Crescent.

It will be interesting to see if it is as popular an away trip when they are in their new ground, which is far less accessible for those going for a day on the drink
I think the move will make a difference, and not for the better. The new ground is out at Monks cross. It's not walkable from the city pubs and attractions like Bootham Crescent is. Also, there will be issues with parking - either very expensive, or inconvenient, furthermore Monks Cross is simply not walkable from the railway station.
Profile pic ↗️
Feethams the Panda. 28 Jan 2012.
Now extinct!

H1987
Posts: 2073
Joined: Wed Jul 13, 2016 4:14 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by H1987 » Wed Feb 05, 2020 6:52 pm

theoriginalfatcat wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 6:11 pm
spen666 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:36 pm
JE93 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:03 pm
H1987 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:52 pm
It's the trip to York.

I'm a pretty vocal supporter of getting a terrace in at the empty end and improving Blackwell, but does anyone honestly believe there being a terrace at the open end would have made any difference? After all, that's all you get at York.

York is just an attractive away day because it's pretty accessible for a lot of the country, and it's also a good day out on the beer. Darlington ain't.
Add to that it's also their final season at Bootham Crescent.

It will be interesting to see if it is as popular an away trip when they are in their new ground, which is far less accessible for those going for a day on the drink
I think the move will make a difference, and not for the better. The new ground is out at Monks cross. It's not walkable from the city pubs and attractions like Bootham Crescent is. Also, there will be issues with parking - either very expensive, or inconvenient, furthermore Monks Cross is simply not walkable from the railway station.
Agreed. It's probably not going to be the same. I suspect might drop off over time, once people go and realise. Not walkable from the town, not near the train station, and no local pubs aren't going to be a great mix.

User avatar
HarrytheQuaker
Posts: 3148
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 3:57 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by HarrytheQuaker » Wed Feb 05, 2020 7:01 pm

theoriginalfatcat wrote:
spen666 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:36 pm
JE93 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:03 pm
H1987 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:52 pm
It's the trip to York.

I'm a pretty vocal supporter of getting a terrace in at the empty end and improving Blackwell, but does anyone honestly believe there being a terrace at the open end would have made any difference? After all, that's all you get at York.

York is just an attractive away day because it's pretty accessible for a lot of the country, and it's also a good day out on the beer. Darlington ain't.
Add to that it's also their final season at Bootham Crescent.

It will be interesting to see if it is as popular an away trip when they are in their new ground, which is far less accessible for those going for a day on the drink
I think the move will make a difference, and not for the better. The new ground is out at Monks cross. It's not walkable from the city pubs and attractions like Bootham Crescent is. Also, there will be issues with parking - either very expensive, or inconvenient, furthermore Monks Cross is simply not walkable from the railway station.
There is a decent bus service that serves monks cross which include the park and ride every 10 mins so it's not that bad regarding travelling from the city centre the only sticking point is getting there by car as they only have parking at the ground for 400 cars

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk


Darlo_Pete
Posts: 14080
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:13 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Chester

Post by Darlo_Pete » Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:49 pm

JE93 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 1:03 pm
H1987 wrote:
Wed Feb 05, 2020 12:52 pm
It's the trip to York.

I'm a pretty vocal supporter of getting a terrace in at the empty end and improving Blackwell, but does anyone honestly believe there being a terrace at the open end would have made any difference? After all, that's all you get at York.

York is just an attractive away day because it's pretty accessible for a lot of the country, and it's also a good day out on the beer. Darlington ain't.
Add to that it's also their final season at Bootham Crescent.
It could be our final season at BM. :roll:

Post Reply