DFCRG Save Darlo Appeal

by Scott Thornberry - 22nd January 2012

dfcrg save darlo appeal

The Rescue Group has been overwhelmed by the responses- locally, nationally and internationally- to the drive to save Darlington FC.  

Messages of support have poured in from across the UK and from across the world. Many of these messages have asked the key question “ What will the money which is collected be used for?”. Well, here is the answer. 

 

Darlington Football Club Rescue Group 
               Sunday 22 January 
 
 
      The Save Darlo Campaign 
 
The Rescue Group has been overwhelmed by the responses- locally, nationally and internationally- to the drive to save Darlington FC.  
 
Messages of support have poured in from across the UK and from across the world. Many of these messages have asked the key question “ What will the money which is collected be used for?”. Well, here is the answer. 
 
This passionate campaign passed yet another milestone today when it was confirmed that the very clear objective of the massive fundraising exercise is for the fans to be able to buy the football club. The Group said right from the start, in early January,  that an ideal outcome, once the club had achieved a stay of execution until the end of this month, was the ultimate formation of a community based club. 
 
However, this statement - at that time – was a desire as opposed to a fact. The very new reality is that the huge worldwide coverage of the dramatic events of last Wednesday have made the next stage of this desire an achievable target. Reports have flooded in of people in Irish bars in Russia being glued to international TV coverage of those events; of boardroom meetings in London being stopped as folk awaited the outcome of the saga. Darlington, and  its football club, are now on a world stage. 
 
So, how can you do your bit to help? 
 
People can donate money via the internet and using PayPal at 
 
                       savedarlo@live.co.uk 
 
As the campaign builds up speed- which it has to, since buying the club needs to be achieved very soon- Rescue Group members Shaun Campbell and Doug Embleton will be attending Quakers’ away game on Tuesday evening at Hayes & Yeading along with  Darlo fans  and also alongside football personalities who have been smitten with the wonderful “ Save Darlo” bug created by last Wednesday’s events.  Chelsea legend, Paul Canonville, will be with them at the game, as will other high profile supporters of the campaign .  
 
“This whole saga has become what it has always been” said Doug Embleton.  “It is about the passion of football fans worldwide, their love of the game and their undying belief that football is a game played by the people for the people”. 
 
Shaun Campbell commented “ It is a privilege to be helping such dedicated, loyal and friendly fans”.  

 

This passionate campaign passed yet another milestone today when it was confirmed that the very clear objective of the massive fundraising exercise is for the fans to be able to buy the football club. The Group said right from the start, in early January,  that an ideal outcome, once the club had achieved a stay of execution until the end of this month, was the ultimate formation of a community based club. 

However, this statement - at that time – was a desire as opposed to a fact. The very new reality is that the huge worldwide coverage of the dramatic events of last Wednesday have made the next stage of this desire an achievable target. Reports have flooded in of people in Irish bars in Russia being glued to international TV coverage of those events; of boardroom meetings in London being stopped as folk awaited the outcome of the saga. Darlington, and  its football club, are now on a world stage. 

 

So, how can you do your bit to help? 

 

People can donate money via the internet and using PayPal at 

 

                       savedarlo@live.co.uk 

 

As the campaign builds up speed- which it has to, since buying the club needs to be achieved very soon- Rescue Group members Shaun Campbell and Doug Embleton will be attending Quakers’ away game on Tuesday evening at Hayes & Yeading along with  Darlo fans  and also alongside football personalities who have been smitten with the wonderful “ Save Darlo” bug created by last Wednesday’s events.  Chelsea legend, Paul Canonville, will be with them at the game, as will other high profile supporters of the campaign .  

“This whole saga has become what it has always been” said Doug Embleton.  “It is about the passion of football fans worldwide, their love of the game and their undying belief that football is a game played by the people for the people”. 

Shaun Campbell commented “ It is a privilege to be helping such dedicated, loyal and friendly fans”.  

 

Comments

Add your own in our forum

ted_do - 22nd January 2012 22:44:27

TBH I would rather hear a little less about Shaun and Doug and a bit more detail on what their plans are and how they are planning to pull off the rescue.

inappropriateh - 22nd January 2012 23:07:39

I am astonished by the lack of detail from this statement from the DFCRG. 500k by next week!? Where is the plan? If the expectation is for the fans and local business to raise the 500k I will be astonished and angry as we are no further forward from last week. I do hope that some real detail will emerge on monday.

isitouryear - 22nd January 2012 23:24:32

Agree with the above. So we buy the club...then what?we still need a development plan with outside businesses with a view to move stadium and have people running the club. I think we may be concentrating too much on it being supporter owned/run etc and the group need to be concentrating on a break through with investors and Raj.

TinShedDarloFan - 22nd January 2012 23:32:17

Or could it be that the DFCRG have gone over all the finances and believe that if we can buy the club it can be run sustainably

Barkie1 - 23rd January 2012 00:04:35

Or mr madden has said look I'm not prepared to go on from week to week. So take action and get me a deal and fast! Also would raj agree coz ok you buy club but there's no cash to pay debt and until that's sorted it mean no new boots in a thin squad. Nor is there any gaurentee of budgets it can't go on operation free gratis forever? Can it

BrianGento - 23rd January 2012 00:11:17

ted_do wrote:TBH I would rather hear a little less about Shaun and Doug and a bit more detail on what their plans are and how they are planning to pull off the rescue.
The 500k quote/figure does not appear in the DFCRG comments. It is, I gather, from The Echo.The DFCRG are all volunteers. Re hearing a little less about Shaun & Doug- fine. It was just an update,written amidst 1,001 other things today.If we depart the scene and you take over our roles, we'll both get some sleep, some time with our loved ones, and time to earn a living. Over to you, sunbeam.

Diluted Dante - 23rd January 2012 01:44:41

Wasn't The Echo piece saying more info was coming tomorrow as well?

ted_do - 23rd January 2012 08:03:36

BrianGento wrote:
ted_do wrote:TBH I would rather hear a little less about Shaun and Doug and a bit more detail on what their plans are and how they are planning to pull off the rescue.
The 500k quote/figure does not appear in the DFCRG comments. It is, I gather, from The Echo.The DFCRG are all volunteers. Re hearing a little less about Shaun & Doug- fine. It was just an update,written amidst 1,001 other things today.If we depart the scene and you take over our roles, we'll both get some sleep, some time with our loved ones, and time to earn a living. Over to you, sunbeam.
Ohh (eggshells). Sorry Doug for the crassness of my post, the reason I posted was only minutes earlier I had seen that we need to raise half a million pounds and then see a post from DFCRG titled save Darlo appeal, and I was expecting chapter and verse on how we are to raise the funds. I was a little disappointed it was short on information apart from your whereabouts, that`s all nothing personal as I think you have done a good job of getting DFC some good publicity.

Another small point and please don’t think I’m having a go or this is message board abuse or anything as its not, its just you did say "Over to you, sunbeam" all I will say in my defence is I and hundreds of others have helped by volunteering I have personally completed bucket collections, I`m in the supporters club and trust and have given hard cash and this enabled you to hand over £25k last Wednesday so we are all in this together don’t feel your standing alone.

Again Doug thank you for all your efforts :thumbup:

Free_Transfer - 23rd January 2012 08:15:01

Bit harsh, we're all trying to move towards saving Darlington Football Club but that statement doesn't give any details of a plan, or any mention of this 500k figure that's doing the rounds.

Everyone appreciates what the DFCRG have done but people need cold hard facts at the end of the day.

JerseyDarlo - 23rd January 2012 11:41:38

Yeah.. all effort it obviously totally appreciated and there are lots of people doing their bit. I realise the RG have a million and one things to do but i think what people are saying is that there is so many who want to help and be put to work as it would be so they want to know the plan. People want to know if they need to be asking for support in all the local shops and trying to get more season tickets sold to convince the admins its viable or even cold calling russian billionairs. I think the general feeling is if you have a plan and arnt worried then please share it. If for whatever reason you can make the plan public then please just give an idea that this is the case. A lot of people want to help and it would be a shame if you needed businesses support or council support or whatever not to use the resources that the many fans on here could maybe provide.

Sounds stupid but someone mentioned earlier about 500 people/businesses putting a grand in or 1000 putting £500 in. It might not be such a crazy idea. Now its a lot of money but if 500k buys the club community status and a more firm and secure future then I would be up for it if I was then part of the club forever but you have to understand that there is a big difference in donating £1k blindly for a hope and doing so as part of a scheme that has a proper plan behind it. Im not suggesting there is no plan as im sure there is but Im just saying that it might help people see the future of the club if you share it as at the moment very few really know if there is any future after the York game. I have given what I can and would totally buy into a community club but Im not going to donate a solid chunk of cash if next week it just gets handed to S&S or Raj to pay off current debts and the club folds anyway.

Excuse the long post its not a rant and I take my hat of to everyone for all the effort so far but looking beyond saturday we really need a business plan of how to get from where we are to somewhere a lot more sustainible including raising this 500k if thats what its going to take. If you have one then please reasure us tell us any way that we can help. If you dont have one then please as a united group of great fans lets come up with one pronto and get on with it.

JerseyDarlo - 23rd January 2012 12:08:30

Sorry to post again so soon but I just reread the RG statement and just wanted to make one more point...

The paypal account you have listed for donations. Firstly if you plan to collect 500k this way then have you worked out the amount you will lose in charges etc. Even the gifting of cash is charged for and even if I pay it then your not getting all the money.

I would strongly suggest a scheme like one that was mentioned on here (I think by the fan of another team who is now a community club). Why not start selling community club memberships at £500 a pop on the understanding that if the scheme does not work then the money will be returned (via paypal if you wish) minus any charges incurred. If you are a member then you get one vote on all matters when the 'community group' take over. Lots of people might not want to or be able to throw cash behind a wish of survival but they might be able to buy a share in the future with the guarentee that if it does not happen the money will be returned. I think this is what the trust was trying to do with its members but clearly there are a few issues as people have seen no action or return of the money. Can I suggest either set this up yourselves asap or partner the trust and have them introduce a status above 'life member' of 'community member' or something and charge £500 or £1000 to be such a member. The only reason I say use thr trust is that they have the system set up so it saves time.

Please think about something similar to this if you have not already. Not everyone would be able to join but maybe those who can not could have a direct debit of £25 a month (or any value they like) that would pay in to the trust/group and when they hit the £500/£1000 mark they would become a 'community member'

What does everyone think. Dont want to step on toes but its an idea worth trying if nothing better is out there. Strictly one member one vote but if people want to pay more than the £500/£1000 for their share then they are more than welcome to.