Transfer Embargo

Conference General Manager, Dennis Strudwick, tonight explained to BBC Tees the position Darlington are currently in.  He revealed that Darlington have been under a transfer embargo for the last 10 days due to the failure to pay some players wages in full as per their contracts.  The conference class the players wages as football creditors and as such have the right to implement any penalty they wish.

"Our role is to make sure clubs are sustainable and that is why we have a number of financial practices in place in which clubs report each quarter as to what is going on. I wouldn't normally discuss a clubs business in public but it is already in the public domain that some of the players have not been paid all of their wages. So what we will try and do is find out exactly what is happening and hopefully facilatate payments within line with their contracts."

"I am liaising with the secretary who is extremely good, Colin Galloway, he lets me know what is going on and keeps in contact. So at the moment the club is aware of what the conference may or may not choose to do so I am awaiting reports back to the conference as to how the club are going to address the problems it currently has. We actually see that there is nothing wrong with paying your bills, it is fair to say that we are no more concerned about Darlington than any other club, but they have a problem and we hope to help along with the PFA and we hope to find a solution."

"I only know of problems with the players wages at the moment due to th eplayers contacting me. The club has been under a player embargo for approximatley 10 days, what goes into our decision? I suppose the bottom line is that we would not want a club to increase their wage bill when they cannot afford the one it has already got. The club have acted very responsibly by getting players out on loan with a view to permanent deals in january. That can only be seen as a positive move, but what we don't want them to do is increase the wage bill at the moment."

"Ultimately we have a rule that if the football club does not pay its football creditors, players wages are considered football creditors, then it is a breach of the rule and possibly look into charging the club for failing to pay its football creditors. The rule actually says that the board can make whatever decision it wishes. All decisions made will be reasonable, they will have to be seen as reasonable as any complaint would be upheld by an appeal committee. We will emdevour to be as practicable and reasonable with whatever decision we make."

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