Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Open now for discussion of all things Darlo!

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bga
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Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by bga » Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:21 am

As above plenty of interesting questions regards recruitment I guess.

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/darling ... 17a6162a11

Darlo_CR
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by Darlo_CR » Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:24 pm

Very interesting point made about the ground situation. DJ is looking to find land to build our own stadium on, funding may come from overseas who will have an influence on the commercial side rather than the football side. Fans will still own the club and DJ thinks it will take three years to carry out.

quakersfan
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by quakersfan » Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:48 pm

He has been saying that for 3 years just can’t see it happening, good that Ray is asking the right questions but everyone just looks fed up and I wish Stockdale would stop grinning.

QUAKERMAN2
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by QUAKERMAN2 » Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:06 pm

quakersfan wrote:He has been saying that for 3 years just can’t see it happening, good that Ray is asking the right questions but everyone just looks fed up and I wish Stockdale would stop grinning.
So you can’t see the ground move happening, what do you know that DJ doesn’t,and why criticise Chris Stockdale after he presented very well and answered all the questions put to him.


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Old Git
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by Old Git » Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:15 pm

DJ ruled out the Arena completely much to the relief of many of us. More or less said they were a bunch of amateurs over the way they conducted negotiations last year and wanted to change things that had already been agreed. Similarly DRFC not keen on us becoming partners and further developing facilities at Blackwell Meadows that could provide more revenue for us.
That only leaves the option of us securing land and building a new stadium. He is in talks with DBC and Ben Houchen as well as potential financial investors. Agree it all seems a bit pie in the sky at present but I think we have to go with DJ on this one. He is not a foolish dreamer and if he thinks this could be a viable option then we need to be prepared to wait and see what he can achieve. Would be brilliant if he could pull it off.

quakersfan
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by quakersfan » Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:16 pm

QUAKERMAN2 wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:06 pm
quakersfan wrote:He has been saying that for 3 years just can’t see it happening, good that Ray is asking the right questions but everyone just looks fed up and I wish Stockdale would stop grinning.
So you can’t see the ground move happening, what do you know that DJ doesn’t,and why criticise Chris Stockdale after he presented very well and answered all the questions put to him.

Would love to see a new ground but just can’t see where - there’s the pitches next to Blackwell and then there’s the development when the new road get built over Barmpton way but that’s been talked about for years so just can’t see anywhere near to the town centre that could be used. Yes lots of answers but felt a bit flat for me. I’ll be there Saturday though in the tin shed. TBH sometimes we just need a decent win and then things change

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Vodka_Vic
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by Vodka_Vic » Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:30 pm

QUAKERMAN2 wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:06 pm
quakersfan wrote:He has been saying that for 3 years just can’t see it happening, good that Ray is asking the right questions but everyone just looks fed up and I wish Stockdale would stop grinning.
So you can’t see the ground move happening, what do you know that DJ doesn’t,and why criticise Chris Stockdale after he presented very well and answered all the questions put to him.

Agreed Ron, sometimes the board must wonder why they bother.

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Last edited by Vodka_Vic on Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

quaker4life
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by quaker4life » Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:33 pm

Old Git wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:15 pm
DJ ruled out the Arena completely much to the relief of many of us.
Now we await the triumphant return of Fat Josh!
love it! wrote:Considering we are Darlington 1883 I'm happy that we are named correctly

Old Git
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by Old Git » Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:47 pm

quaker4life wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:33 pm
Old Git wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:15 pm
DJ ruled out the Arena completely much to the relief of many of us.
Now we await the triumphant return of Fat Josh!
On the subject of the Arena he is correct. It is a rusting shell not fit for purpose and will likely be knocked down in the future. In all other respects he is a complete tool.

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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by quaker4life » Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:55 pm

Old Git wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:47 pm
quaker4life wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:33 pm
Old Git wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:15 pm
DJ ruled out the Arena completely much to the relief of many of us.
Now we await the triumphant return of Fat Josh!
On the subject of the Arena he is correct. It is a rusting shell not fit for purpose and will likely be knocked down in the future. In all other respects he is a complete tool.
I can't help but shrug off the feeling that should have happened many years ago.
love it! wrote:Considering we are Darlington 1883 I'm happy that we are named correctly

Vodka_Vic
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by Vodka_Vic » Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:17 pm

You know who Ben Houchen's uncle is don't you?

Old Git
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by Old Git » Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:37 pm

Is it his dad or mams brother?

darlo_baron
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by darlo_baron » Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:42 pm

quakersfan wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:48 pm
He has been saying that for 3 years just can’t see it happening, good that Ray is asking the right questions but everyone just looks fed up and I wish Stockdale would stop grinning.
1) You blatantly have an axe to grind with the club. It's truly dull. Stockdale delivers a comprehensive review of the financial position, which is seemingly positive, and you're crying about nothing.

2) The club needs it's own facility. I don't care how ambitious it is we need to find a way. Wimbledon and FC Utd managed. I can safely say that its the only way we can progress towards full time football and away from getting beat by bankrolled village teams.
Craig Liddle is God!!

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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by QUAKERMAN2 » Mon Aug 09, 2021 10:00 pm

darlo_baron wrote:
quakersfan wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:48 pm
He has been saying that for 3 years just can’t see it happening, good that Ray is asking the right questions but everyone just looks fed up and I wish Stockdale would stop grinning.
1) You blatantly have an axe to grind with the club. It's truly dull. Stockdale delivers a comprehensive review of the financial position, which is seemingly positive, and you're crying about nothing.

2) The club needs it's own facility. I don't care how ambitious it is we need to find a way. Wimbledon and FC Utd managed. I can safely say that its the only way we can progress towards full time football and away from getting beat by bankrolled village teams.
ThisImageImage


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quakersfan
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by quakersfan » Mon Aug 09, 2021 10:07 pm

darlo_baron wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:42 pm
quakersfan wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:48 pm
He has been saying that for 3 years just can’t see it happening, good that Ray is asking the right questions but everyone just looks fed up and I wish Stockdale would stop grinning.
1) You blatantly have an axe to grind with the club. It's truly dull. Stockdale delivers a comprehensive review of the financial position, which is seemingly positive, and you're crying about nothing.

2) The club needs it's own facility. I don't care how ambitious it is we need to find a way. Wimbledon and FC Utd managed. I can safely say that its the only way we can progress towards full time football and away from getting beat by bankrolled village teams.

quakersfan
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by quakersfan » Mon Aug 09, 2021 10:11 pm

Not an axe to grind more being realistic, management of both boards need to say they are happy to be at NL level for next 3 years or so until we have a plan to develop new fully owned stadium, it was always going to be a long haul.

lo36789
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by lo36789 » Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:41 am

quakersfan wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 10:11 pm
Not an axe to grind more being realistic, management of both boards need to say they are happy to be at NL level for next 3 years or so until we have a plan to develop new fully owned stadium, it was always going to be a long haul.
Is anyone under any illusions otherwise?

I would go as far to say we are a NL club for the foreseeable future.

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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by lo36789 » Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:49 am

darlo_baron wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:42 pm
2) The club needs it's own facility. I don't care how ambitious it is we need to find a way. Wimbledon and FC Utd managed. I can safely say that its the only way we can progress towards full time football and away from getting beat by bankrolled village teams.
Some really bad examples.

Wimbledon did it as an EFL1 club, but otherwise became owners of Kingsmeadow as a result of the bankruptcy of Kingstonian.

FC United were crippled by theirs, leading to relegation from National League North and competing against the financial might of Morpeth, Basford United and South Shields.

Also Forest Green Rovers and Harrogate Town are both EFL2 sides who are a bankrolled village teams, they will both happily beat us if we ever got to that level...and if we ever got to the Europa League I am sure Hoffenheim would do them same to us.

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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by darlo_baron » Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:03 am

lo36789 wrote:
Tue Aug 10, 2021 1:49 am
darlo_baron wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 9:42 pm
2) The club needs it's own facility. I don't care how ambitious it is we need to find a way. Wimbledon and FC Utd managed. I can safely say that its the only way we can progress towards full time football and away from getting beat by bankrolled village teams.
Some really bad examples.

Wimbledon did it as an EFL1 club, but otherwise became owners of Kingsmeadow as a result of the bankruptcy of Kingstonian.

FC United were crippled by theirs, leading to relegation from National League North and competing against the financial might of Morpeth, Basford United and South Shields.

Also Forest Green Rovers and Harrogate Town are both EFL2 sides who are a bankrolled village teams, they will both happily beat us if we ever got to that level...and if we ever got to the Europa League I am sure Hoffenheim would do them same to us.
FC Utd refusal to endorse additional revenue streams is clearly a major factor in their poorer than expected income for their club size. The fact remains is their fan base spent a considerable period raising money to partially fund a stadium that they needed. Why can't we do the same?

Furthermore, Wimbledon fans were able to cover a major shortfall in funding for Plough Lane as they actually had some willing to get into a new ground. Again, compare that to some of the people on here writing it off before it happens every time its ever mentioned.

I'd rather get beat in league 2 by Harrogate, in a ground we can call our own, than get beat by Spennymoor in a rugby ground that we are now prohibited from developing further. Yes the relationship with the tenants is clearly improving, which is good, but if we're happy playing there forever taking small percentage cuts from bar and food takings and treading water at this level people will get sick.
Craig Liddle is God!!

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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by lo36789 » Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:34 am

darlo_baron wrote:
Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:03 am
FC Utd refusal to endorse additional revenue streams is clearly a major factor in their poorer than expected income for their club size. The fact remains is their fan base spent a considerable period raising money to partially fund a stadium that they needed. Why can't we do the same?
c £160k per year to fundraise for debt repayments and to cover stadium maintenance. If we can double B2B then we can do the same...and even then we'd still have a similar strength squad to now.
darlo_baron wrote:
Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:03 am
Furthermore, Wimbledon fans were able to cover a major shortfall in funding for Plough Lane as they actually had some willing to get into a new ground. Again, compare that to some of the people on here writing it off before it happens every time its ever mentioned.
Yes a shortfall. As an ex premier league EFL 1 club with the fan base that has.
darlo_baron wrote:
Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:03 am
I'd rather get beat in league 2 by Harrogate, in a ground we can call our own, than get beat by Spennymoor in a rugby ground that we are now prohibited from developing further. Yes the relationship with the tenants is clearly improving, which is good, but if we're happy playing there forever taking small percentage cuts from bar and food takings and treading water at this level people will get sick.
So your concern is nothing to do with getting beat by bankrolled village teams, and feeling we are better than that. It is the old if we just stay at the same level then we will have found our level and people will get sick.

At what point does that not happen in your eyes? Every club has a ceiling why are we so much greater than NLN. Why are we so entitled to be better than the level we are at? At what point is treading water "finding your level"?

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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by wizardofos » Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:37 am

My guess is that a new stadium would be owned by the investor and we would be secure tenants, but still owners of the Club.
There would, presumably, be other attractions than just rent from us. It could be that the provision of a facility for us is the leverage required to gain approval for a broader scheme. I can't think of a way an investor would be attracted otherwise.
It could work.
Pure speculation on my part.

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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by lo36789 » Tue Aug 10, 2021 6:39 am

Darlo_CR wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 6:24 pm
Very interesting point made about the ground situation. DJ is looking to find land to build our own stadium on, funding may come from overseas who will have an influence on the commercial side rather than the football side. Fans will still own the club and DJ thinks it will take three years to carry out.
The issue I see with this. You are basically asking investors to subsidise a football club.

You want them to invest in a business model which can make more money ie by utilising a football ground facility, but chooses to subsidise a football team with parts of the profits.

You are expecting foreign investors with no connection to the football club to see their RoI reduced and be happy with that.

As wizardofoz says the only way it really flies is if it somehow allows them to use club as leverage when it comes to getting favourable planning permission / licences etc.

If we have to do it ourselves. In 10 years we have raised £1m, reality is we need £6million. So we are going to be "treading water" and we need to raise that regardless of whether we raise up front or use debt to pay for it...so we will be treading water for a while yet.

H1987
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by H1987 » Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:18 am

All really interesting, although I am somewhat troubled by who would be building this stadium and what they really get out of it? I wouldn't trust dodgy Houchen as far as I could throw him.

All that aside... I'm curious what land he is looking at. There's not a lot of spare land going in Darlington. Ideally, you'd want something walkable from the town centre. Anyone any thoughts?

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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by Fat josh » Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:47 am

Old Git wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:47 pm
quaker4life wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:33 pm
Old Git wrote:
Mon Aug 09, 2021 8:15 pm
DJ ruled out the Arena completely much to the relief of many of us.
Now we await the triumphant return of Fat Josh!
On the subject of the Arena he is correct. It is a rusting shell not fit for purpose and will likely be knocked down in the future. In all other respects he is a complete tool.
My massive complete tool is of no-ones concern but me and Mrs Fat josh thank you.

Well well well Ghost of 1883 Darlo Pete and all the other Arena worshippers can you hear me ?

Your rusting Arena will take one hell of a beating

When it's demolished soon
King of uncovered

Leader of the true fans against the Arena return resistance movement

Old Git
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by Old Git » Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:01 am

Surely the point is that if DJ thinks this is a potential opportunity to get our own ground it is at least worth exploring further. He is an experienced businessman with the clubs interests at heart and I for one am exited by what he is trying to do. Some of the negativity on here is really disappointing to hear.

quakersfan
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by quakersfan » Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:18 am

H1987 wrote:
Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:18 am
All really interesting, although I am somewhat troubled by who would be building this stadium and what they really get out of it? I wouldn't trust dodgy Houchen as far as I could throw him.

All that aside... I'm curious what land he is looking at. There's not a lot of spare land going in Darlington. Ideally, you'd want something walkable from the town centre. Anyone any thoughts?
Be great if we could buy land at Blackwell Meadows failing that with the new link road near Barmpton that could release some land but it’s very far out other than that I can’t think of any land near the town centre that’s big enough for a stadium.

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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by al_quaker » Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:23 am

It sounds like DJ has explored all the options, and we're left with stay at BM as we are, or try and get our own stadium built to enable revenues to grow. If DJ think there's a real opportunity to get the latter done, then I'm happy to trust him on that. There's nothing inherently wrong with staying as we are - which appears to be a midtable part time NLN side who will flirt with both ends of the table occasionally, but it would be nice if we could progress further.

On the pitch I came away slightly more confident - with both AA and DJ insistent this isn't the final squad. There's only 4 games in August this year (half of what we had in 19/20!) so if we do end up going into September with those few extra signings we need then there's still a chance of a decent season.

quakersfan
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by quakersfan » Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:28 am

al_quaker wrote:
Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:23 am
It sounds like DJ has explored all the options, and we're left with stay at BM as we are, or try and get our own stadium built to enable revenues to grow. If DJ think there's a real opportunity to get the latter done, then I'm happy to trust him on that. There's nothing inherently wrong with staying as we are - which appears to be a midtable part time NLN side who will flirt with both ends of the table occasionally, but it would be nice if we could progress further.

On the pitch I came away slightly more confident - with both AA and DJ insistent this isn't the final squad. There's only 4 games in August this year (half of what we had in 19/20!) so if we do end up going into September with those few extra signings we need then there's still a chance of a decent season.
Agree a good win on Saturday will settle everyone down me included, just looking forward to seeing competitive football again.

H1987
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by H1987 » Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:44 am

I totally agree, I'm just confused about what the 'commercial side' entails. Does that extend to ticket prices for example? What is the commercial outcome outwith the football club that would make this an appealing thing for someone with presumably no connection to the club to do? I'd assume we'd be aiming for a small stadium, that beyond matchdays... serves little purpose? How does it generate money on their investment? I think I might argue, as a fan-owned club, the commercial side is the bit we have more of a say and control of anyway? As fans, we have no say in signings or team selection anyway, but we do get to pick our kits, feedback on ticket prices, matchday experience, and so on... is conceding the 'commercial side' what that entails? Because, at which point, what is the benefit of being fan-owned anymore?

I trust we would be presented with the options in due course, and I love the idea of a suitable sized ground of our own in the town. I just don't think it's negativity, it's our fans being realistic and wanting to know more. All legitimate questions, imo.

H1987
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Re: Reminder Fans Forum tonight

Post by H1987 » Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:45 am

quakersfan wrote:
Tue Aug 10, 2021 8:18 am
H1987 wrote:
Tue Aug 10, 2021 7:18 am
All really interesting, although I am somewhat troubled by who would be building this stadium and what they really get out of it? I wouldn't trust dodgy Houchen as far as I could throw him.

All that aside... I'm curious what land he is looking at. There's not a lot of spare land going in Darlington. Ideally, you'd want something walkable from the town centre. Anyone any thoughts?
Be great if we could buy land at Blackwell Meadows failing that with the new link road near Barmpton that could release some land but it’s very far out other than that I can’t think of any land near the town centre that’s big enough for a stadium.
Fair point, tbh. I believe the Rugby club doesn't own all the land there? We'd need to avoid the damned pipe, but it's likely the best option.

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