Back to the Arena

[theoriginalfatcat]

It's 550.

[ralphb]

I waste my time commenting on hear, they never get added to notice board

[wizardofos]

As a 500 member, I will certainly excersize my privilege to attend live games when allowed.
I am going to miss the live streams though (assuming they will have to stop), especially for the away matches which I would probably not have travelled to. I've looked forward to Saturday afternoons again of late, be it at Swindon, Curzon, Alfreton or wherever.
As for the home live streams, they are at a higher level than most - thanks to the crew who have made this possible. Almost as good as being there.

[biccynana]

I waste my time commenting on hear, they never get added to notice board

[Old Git]

Anywhere would do but sick of Blackwell Meadows.

[Darlo_Pete]

The sooner we get back to the Arena the better.

[quaker4life]

The sooner we get back to the Arena the better.

You might be waiting a while.

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/ ... next-week/

[H1987]

This tier thing really is a load of old b*llocks.

That opinion aside, I can't see Darlington being in a 'tier' where games will be open for the public until sometime in the new year.

With a vaccine on the way, I'm hoping next season we are back to normal. In reality, we may play a handful of games at the Arena between probably the new year and the end of the season. I despise the place but if it means those who want to can see the games, then I think it's a good thing.

I'm not sure where we stand on the streaming, but I really hope it's allowed to stay. Not everyone can go even when the stadium opens, whether it's those who feel they shouldn't travel, those shielding... and even some far-flung fans... I hope we are given dispensation to keep streaming while this unusual situation continues. I can't speak highly enough of the service

[theoriginalfatcat]

Leaving the C19 thing to one side, with The Arena I never really liked it and I never really wanted to go there in the first place - but I can't help thinking that people tend to associate the stadium with all the bad things that happened to us when we were there. It was the people involved not the stadium itself that in the main brought about our problems.

To me the question is - is The Arena a better place for watching a game of football?

I've tried and tried to like Blackwell Meadows but I can't. You can't get any height to watch the game and if you do stand at the back of The Tinshed then you are too far away. Blackwell Meadows is worse than Bishop's ground and the only place you can get a semi decent view is up on the balcony hobnobbing with the wealthy elite i.e. on hospitality.

If we make it back to The Arena, I for one am looking forward to it I'm looking forward to getting some height so that I can get a view of the game.

[QUAKERMAN2]

The Arena for me without a doubt, a proper football stadium that AA and the players would prefer.That's good enough for me.

Sent from my moto g(6) play using Tapatalk

[quaker4life]

This tier thing really is a load of old b*llocks.

Agreed, all it does is create confusion.

As horrible and soul crushing as these two full scale lockdowns have been I'd rather there was a set standard in which we all knew where we stood.

And on the related subject I will never change my mind about the Arena.

[Vokuhila]

Tier 3 now confirmed, as expected.

[loan_star]

I've tried and tried to like Blackwell Meadows but I can't. You can't get any height to watch the game and if you do stand at the back of The Tinshed then you are too far away.

Thats one argument that I've never understood. Even the closest seats to the pitch at the arena are as far away from the action as the back of the tin shed.

[grytters]

Doesn't really matter as we will be in tier 3 because we'll get roped in with the rest of the Tees Valley/ Teesside

Would be the same in County Durham as that's Tier 3 too.

However, the good news is that if you live in Piercebridge you can pop over the river to the pub for a pie and a pint as North Yorkshire is Tier 2

[bga]

Doesn't really matter as we will be in tier 3 because we'll get roped in with the rest of the Tees Valley/ Teesside

Would be the same in County Durham as that's Tier 3 too.

However, the good news is that if you live in Piercebridge you can pop over the river to the pub for a pie and a pint as North Yorkshire is Tier 2

Isn't Croft nearer for a Pie and a Pint?

[Darlo_Pete]

Doesn't really matter as we will be in tier 3 because we'll get roped in with the rest of the Tees Valley/ Teesside

Would be the same in County Durham as that's Tier 3 too.

However, the good news is that if you live in Piercebridge you can pop over the river to the pub for a pie and a pint as North Yorkshire is Tier 2

Sadly not, I live close to Piercebridge & the George at Piercebridge closed down about 3 to 4 months ago, so no pie & pint there.

[onewayup]

I have a pair of stilts if that will help you with the height problem. Ha,ha

[quaker4life]

Only Darlo would rent two stadiums and have fans in neither.

[H1987]

I've tried and tried to like Blackwell Meadows but I can't. You can't get any height to watch the game and if you do stand at the back of The Tinshed then you are too far away.

Thats one argument that I've never understood. Even the closest seats to the pitch at the arena are as far away from the action as the back of the tin shed.

I agree with the distance, but the height could be better. I know Blackwell was designed at very short notice, but it really should've been kicked down the road a few months to think about smaller things. One of those things should've been a bit more height on the terracing and seating. Sightlines seem to have been an afterthought. The Arena is a garbage venue though, and while there is height, it's only because it's oversized. The seats are still miles from the pitch and it's cavernous and totally removed from the action. I think some have erased in their mind how soul-destroying it is there.

It's only temporary. Thank god.

[quaker4life]

I know Blackwell was designed at very short notice, but it really should've been kicked down the road a few months to think about smaller things.

Unfortunately we didn't have that luxury BM was built to tick ground grading boxes for minimal cost and had it not been ready and up to Category B grading by the March 31st deadline we'd have likely have remained at Heritage Park and been relegated back to the NPL as a result, it was the perfect irony of having left one ground with too many seats and moved to another with too few and ended up missing out on the play offs as a result!

The Arena has led a charmed existence to say the least had things gone differently back in 2003/04 it may well not be standing now.

[jjljks]

Purely academic, now we are in Tier 3 (at least until 16 December review)

[darlo2001uk]

Only Darlo would rent two stadiums and have fans in neither.

Brilliant!

[theoriginalfatcat]

I've tried and tried to like Blackwell Meadows but I can't. You can't get any height to watch the game and if you do stand at the back of The Tinshed then you are too far away.

Thats one argument that I've never understood. Even the closest seats to the pitch at the arena are as far away from the action as the back of the tin shed.

I see your point but at The Arena I used to sit at the back, thus gaining height, and it's height I'm on about.

I'm not an Arena fan, far from it - it's just I'm fed up with not seeing the action properly at B.M.

Feethams was best, in the new stand you could get height but still remain relatively close.

[quaker4life]

Feethams was best, in the new stand you could get height but still remain relatively close.

As you can see at around 2:50 in this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH7xhvs9NWw

I still find it a bit difficult to watch.

[Comfortably_numb]

I waste my time commenting on hear, they never get added to notice board

post of the year...

[don'tbuythesun]

I gave up at "hear".

[theoriginalfatcat]

I waste my time commenting on hear, they never get added to notice board

This reminds me of a sign that my Dad once saw on the side of the road that read "DO NOT THROW STONES AT THIS SIGN" - and nothing else.

[H1987]

I've tried and tried to like Blackwell Meadows but I can't. You can't get any height to watch the game and if you do stand at the back of The Tinshed then you are too far away.

Thats one argument that I've never understood. Even the closest seats to the pitch at the arena are as far away from the action as the back of the tin shed.

I see your point but at The Arena I used to sit at the back, thus gaining height, and it's height I'm on about.

I'm not an Arena fan, far from it - it's just I'm fed up with not seeing the action properly at B.M.

Feethams was best, in the new stand you could get height but still remain relatively close.

I know what you mean, but I still don't feel like it's great up there. The stands aren't steep enough and there was always a big gap between the stands and pitch, even when compared to the Riverside and other similar aged grounds.

Obviously, it was an issue when we moved to Blackwell in terms of time but we could've kicked the can down the road 3 months more and thought about it all a little bit more. At least some of our issues with Blackwell are self-made. The tinshed wasn't built deep enough, the seated stand should've had more rows, remember the dugouts at first? We fixed them, but at the expense of the club... The seated stand could also have been raised a little. It was all rushed. I think the original plan included to install our own bar as well, which never came to fruition.

We did make future development difficult for ourselves and there should be some inward reflection too.

[onewayup]

H1987, I think you're being a little disingenuous the people in charge did what was thought to be the best that could be done at the time, with finances being what they were.we are where are because of many unpaid volunteers.who all want the same thing, a successful football club for Darlington.

[Old Git]

H1987, I think you're being a little disingenuous the people in charge did what was thought to be the best that could be done at the time, with finances being what they were.we are where are because of many unpaid volunteers.who all want the same thing, a successful football club for Darlington.

I think you are right it is very easy to be wise with hindsight. Blackwell Meadows was the best we could do on a very limited budget 4 years ago. Is it great?No it certainly could be better but in its present form it is adequate for now. The Board are working on alternatives such as developing BM and other sites such as the SV and Arena. I see it as an evolution process that is still evolving and will take a lot of time money and effort to complete.