George Reynolds - Time to let it go

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quaker4life
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George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by quaker4life » Sat May 08, 2021 6:26 pm

Funnily enough I see there's already another thread about Reynolds and his daughter but I thought this post needed one of its own, I wasn't going to bother putting this in writing initially but on reflection I thought maybe it is worth putting it out there.

When he died a few weeks back I felt something I never expected I would, sadness, it was strange after so many years of feeling nothing but bitterness and resentment towards the man why was I now suddenly saddened by his passing? It didn't really make any sense at first. During the 21 years I’ve followed the club, like the rest of us, I have witnessed its destruction at the hands of a succession of dubious owners which all came to a head in 2012 when we were left with no manger, no team and no ground.

It seemed as though those so called "doom mongers" back in 2003 had been right all along the new stadium would be "the death of Darlington Football Club" I remember seeing posts on the old rivals board from some fans saying they would not attend games anymore after we left Feethams. You often hear people say if “I knew then what I know now” and being a naive 16 year old back then I was actually looking forward to the new stadium which seems unbelievable now because by the time we left I absolutely despised the place and in the last few years there especially I started going to games less and less as I just didn’t enjoy going there anymore, it was a soulless place.

The tipping point was a home game against Macclesfield shortly after going into administration in 2009 (a period of time which for me personally was very difficult but that's another story) I recall there had been a big rallying cry for people to turn out and support the club but it had fallen on deaf ears. There was around 2,500 there that day and I remember having an entire row (barring one other bloke) to myself in block 12. I remember looking out at that empty cavernous stadium and hearing taunts from the Macclesfield fans "Where's your money gone?!" and I thought to myself what an absolute joke this is, it's pointless and it was a slippery slope from there.

I didn't want to hate the place but I did, no matter how hard I tried to tell myself otherwise, the eventual killer was *that* Dean Windass penalty against Bury in 2009/10 I began questioning myself when I was walking home afterwards about what I was doing there and I think I only went to a further three or four games that season.

I look back now and I realise it was too easy to focus on the negatives unfortunately it was the bad times that I tended to remember the most, which was sad as I'd forgotten the good times such as going to Aston Villa in the FA Cup and beating the poolies in the play offs to reach Wembley neither of which would have been possible without him, had he not stepped in back in 1999 history could have taken a very different direction as the wolves were beginning to circle.

At the time there can be no question he saved the club but it was everything he did next which was unforgiveable his ego ran away with him, sometimes when I walked through town I would look over at Feethams and see that banal housing estate that now stands there and think to myself how wrong it is and how it shouldn't be there. It would often bring up those old feelings of resentment and anger towards him for ripping the heart and soul out of the club for a monument to himself but I also realise that him and the stadium alone did not cause our demise, a number of different factors came into play, particularly the actions of two successive owners which combined eventually left us out of town and in the Northern League.

I think he genuinely thought he could build something big with DFC but it was always doomed to fail he bullied people and alienated people but at the very least back in 2004 he gave us a fighting chance, persuading Hodgy to come back which had he not done so would almost certainly have seen us relegated at the end of it we still had the stadium and our Football League status. Another certain former owner also left us with our Football League status in 2009 but with a team of cast offs cobbled together on gentleman's agreements and and of course the stadium which had an unpaid loan against it which when subsequently defaulted on a couple of years later it sent his successor into meltdown and the rest is history.

Although he was one of three great evils in the end personally I don' think he was the greatest of them (I know who my pick of the bunch is) but I think the saddest part was hanging onto something which in reality had been dead and buried for years, it was time to let all that bitterness and resentment go, there was no longer any point in holding on to it.

Whilst many of us witnessed the club's destruction during the last decade we also witnessed its resurrection rising back up the league's and returning to town driven not by benefactors but by the supporters, the shadow of George Reynolds and his successors should now be cast aside for good.
love it! wrote:Considering we are Darlington 1883 I'm happy that we are named correctly

PierremontQuaker03
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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by PierremontQuaker03 » Sat May 08, 2021 6:33 pm

Great read, at least the stadium is being used for positive purposes at the moment with the vaccine roll out!
What’s frustrating for me is that there is lots of dead space in and around the town centre and I’m sure private money could be found for a 8,000 capacity stadium with the councils support. Look at Ben Houchin and Teesside airport.


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Emdubya
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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by Emdubya » Sat May 08, 2021 6:56 pm

PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 6:33 pm
Great read, at least the stadium is being used for positive purposes at the moment with the vaccine roll out!
What’s frustrating for me is that there is lots of dead space in and around the town centre and I’m sure private money could be found for a 8,000 capacity stadium with the councils support. Look at Ben Houchin and Teesside airport.


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Where’s all this dead space at that is big enough for a pitch,stands and parking in or around the town center?..Going by google maps there is nothing anywhere near big enough.

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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by PierremontQuaker03 » Sat May 08, 2021 7:04 pm

Emdubya wrote:
PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 6:33 pm
Great read, at least the stadium is being used for positive purposes at the moment with the vaccine roll out!
What’s frustrating for me is that there is lots of dead space in and around the town centre and I’m sure private money could be found for a 8,000 capacity stadium with the councils support. Look at Ben Houchin and Teesside airport.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Where’s all this dead space at that is big enough for a pitch,stands and parking in or around the town center?..Going by google maps there is nothing anywhere near big enough.
Plastered parrot and the hideous small skyscraper on North Road, all that area needs flattened, infact you could flatten queen street as well. There is also faverdale. The council owns a lot of land in and around the town.


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Emdubya
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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by Emdubya » Sat May 08, 2021 7:09 pm

PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 7:04 pm
Emdubya wrote:
PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 6:33 pm
Great read, at least the stadium is being used for positive purposes at the moment with the vaccine roll out!
What’s frustrating for me is that there is lots of dead space in and around the town centre and I’m sure private money could be found for a 8,000 capacity stadium with the councils support. Look at Ben Houchin and Teesside airport.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Where’s all this dead space at that is big enough for a pitch,stands and parking in or around the town center?..Going by google maps there is nothing anywhere near big enough.
Plastered parrot and the hideous small skyscraper on North Road, all that area needs flattened, infact you could flatten queen street as well. There is also faverdale. The council owns a lot of land in and around the town.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
East street is nowhere near big enough and is also a well used car park.And Faverdale ??,town center??.

PierremontQuaker03
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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by PierremontQuaker03 » Sat May 08, 2021 7:14 pm

Emdubya wrote:
PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 7:04 pm
Emdubya wrote:
PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 6:33 pm
Great read, at least the stadium is being used for positive purposes at the moment with the vaccine roll out!
What’s frustrating for me is that there is lots of dead space in and around the town centre and I’m sure private money could be found for a 8,000 capacity stadium with the councils support. Look at Ben Houchin and Teesside airport.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Where’s all this dead space at that is big enough for a pitch,stands and parking in or around the town center?..Going by google maps there is nothing anywhere near big enough.
Plastered parrot and the hideous small skyscraper on North Road, all that area needs flattened, infact you could flatten queen street as well. There is also faverdale. The council owns a lot of land in and around the town.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
East street is nowhere near big enough and is also a well used car park.And Faverdale ??,town center??.
Flatten Mardi Grais as well, Route 66 , all those buildings are an eyesore.


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eek
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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by eek » Sat May 08, 2021 7:17 pm

PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 7:14 pm
Emdubya wrote:
PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 7:04 pm
Emdubya wrote:
PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 6:33 pm
Great read, at least the stadium is being used for positive purposes at the moment with the vaccine roll out!
What’s frustrating for me is that there is lots of dead space in and around the town centre and I’m sure private money could be found for a 8,000 capacity stadium with the councils support. Look at Ben Houchin and Teesside airport.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Where’s all this dead space at that is big enough for a pitch,stands and parking in or around the town center?..Going by google maps there is nothing anywhere near big enough.
Plastered parrot and the hideous small skyscraper on North Road, all that area needs flattened, infact you could flatten queen street as well. There is also faverdale. The council owns a lot of land in and around the town.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
East street is nowhere near big enough and is also a well used car park.And Faverdale ??,town center??.
Flatten Mardi Grais as well, Route 66 , all those buildings are an eyesore.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You may not have noticed it but that's also the car park for most visitors to town.

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theoriginalfatcat
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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by theoriginalfatcat » Sat May 08, 2021 10:18 pm

I think most Darlo fans have "let it go".

It's the media that have this perpetual link between George Reynolds and Darlington football Club.

It's just so easy for them to cobble together an article, and don't you just know it will always feature these words and phrases - "safecracker" "administration" "tax evasion" "next door to one of the Spice Girls" "yacht" "chipboard" "saved the club from bankruptcy" "new stadium" "fought off muggers" "controversial" - it's like Bingo really....
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EDJOHNS
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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by EDJOHNS » Sun May 09, 2021 7:26 am

theoriginalfatcat wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 10:18 pm
I think most Darlo fans have "let it go".

It's the media that have this perpetual link between George Reynolds and Darlington football Club.

It's just so easy for them to cobble together an article, and don't you just know it will always feature these words and phrases - "safecracker" "administration" "tax evasion" "next door to one of the Spice Girls" "yacht" "chipboard" "saved the club from bankruptcy" "new stadium" "fought off muggers" "controversial" - it's like Bingo really....
But it is not just the media is it. Every time he blew his nose someone on here posted about it and got comments. That shows people have not in any way "let it go"
You would think that by now everything that possibly could be said by Darlo fans about him has been said, so what is the point in regurgitating it every few weeks?

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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by real_darlo_85 » Sun May 09, 2021 8:24 am

I think it's fair to say the Reynolds era was a chapter in the whole history of Darlington FC and however controversial it was, it has shaped the club and to an extent has to be acknowledged. Just as with all the events previous to Reynolds and all those after.

My opinion of the Reynolds era is that his initial intentions were to lift the club for the good, however the playoff defeat in 2000 was the start of the crazy ego-led downward spiral culminating in the move to the Arena and the financial problems he/we faced in 2003. Before Reynolds there were a number of times the club lived on the edge of financial survival and controversy but we didn't live in the media/social media frenzy in those times. However, it is probably the building of the Arena and those that have owned the club after (up to 2012) which did ultimately the most damage. Reynolds was controversial but Houghton and Singh are just as much to blame.

It's now up to us as fan's and owners of the club to put right the wrongs of the last 20 years. We now play at a more suitable ground than the Arena for the level we are at (it isn't perfect granted) and financially live within our means too. I think if ever we reach the Football League, then it will be mission accomplished and we'd be at least back to the same level we were at when Reynolds took over, I think that's what we should be looking for as an aim. Beyond that who knows!
"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by lo36789 » Sun May 09, 2021 8:31 am

PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 7:14 pm
Emdubya wrote:
PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 7:04 pm
Emdubya wrote:
PierremontQuaker03 wrote:
Sat May 08, 2021 6:33 pm
Great read, at least the stadium is being used for positive purposes at the moment with the vaccine roll out!
What’s frustrating for me is that there is lots of dead space in and around the town centre and I’m sure private money could be found for a 8,000 capacity stadium with the councils support. Look at Ben Houchin and Teesside airport.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Where’s all this dead space at that is big enough for a pitch,stands and parking in or around the town center?..Going by google maps there is nothing anywhere near big enough.
Plastered parrot and the hideous small skyscraper on North Road, all that area needs flattened, infact you could flatten queen street as well. There is also faverdale. The council owns a lot of land in and around the town.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
East street is nowhere near big enough and is also a well used car park.And Faverdale ??,town center??.
Flatten Mardi Grais as well, Route 66 , all those buildings are an eyesore.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is sounding less and less like 'dead space'

shildonlad
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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by shildonlad » Sun May 09, 2021 4:18 pm

Had reynolds not come in 1999 the club would have gone bust then and i dont recall anyone boycotting games in his early days as chairman. He seemed quite popular with some good ideas to get more fans in, especially those of us who were teenagers at the time who followed premier league teams. Im sure georege reynolds never had any intentions to asset strip and bankrupt the club in his early days like joe cala, steve dale et all
I may not live in the north east anymore but i still support the north east teams

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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by Maurice_Peddelty » Sun May 09, 2021 5:18 pm

shildonlad wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 4:18 pm
Had reynolds not come in 1999 the club would have gone bust then and i dont recall anyone boycotting games in his early days as chairman. He seemed quite popular with some good ideas to get more fans in, especially those of us who were teenagers at the time who followed premier league teams. Im sure georege reynolds never had any intentions to asset strip and bankrupt the club in his early days like joe cala, steve dale et all
I don't think anyone has accused GR of having any intentions to asset strip the club. He has been criticised for building a stadium that was over-sized for a club of Darlington's potential. To the extent that GR had to borrow from the Sterling consortium in order to complete the construction of the stadium. This left GR with insufficient funds to sustain the club, forcing him to place it in administration. This resulted in the downward spiral of the Club's fortunes. Had GR been less ambitious with his stadium plans, there might have been a better outcome.

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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by shildonlad » Sun May 09, 2021 6:18 pm

Maurice_Peddelty wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 5:18 pm
shildonlad wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 4:18 pm
Had reynolds not come in 1999 the club would have gone bust then and i dont recall anyone boycotting games in his early days as chairman. He seemed quite popular with some good ideas to get more fans in, especially those of us who were teenagers at the time who followed premier league teams. Im sure georege reynolds never had any intentions to asset strip and bankrupt the club in his early days like joe cala, steve dale et all
I don't think anyone has accused GR of having any intentions to asset strip the club. He has been criticised for building a stadium that was over-sized for a club of Darlington's potential. To the extent that GR had to borrow from the Sterling consortium in order to complete the construction of the stadium. This left GR with insufficient funds to sustain the club, forcing him to place it in administration. This resulted in the downward spiral of the Club's fortunes. Had GR been less ambitious with his stadium plans, there might have been a better outcome.
Cant argue with any of that. Owners after reynolds would have faired better in say a 10k all seater ground, the club could even have survived a few year in non league. Even if reynolds got his whish for concerts i doubt the sort of acts to fill such a huge stadium would have been attracted
I may not live in the north east anymore but i still support the north east teams

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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by EDJOHNS » Sun May 09, 2021 6:24 pm

shildonlad wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 6:18 pm
Maurice_Peddelty wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 5:18 pm
shildonlad wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 4:18 pm
Had reynolds not come in 1999 the club would have gone bust then and i dont recall anyone boycotting games in his early days as chairman. He seemed quite popular with some good ideas to get more fans in, especially those of us who were teenagers at the time who followed premier league teams. Im sure georege reynolds never had any intentions to asset strip and bankrupt the club in his early days like joe cala, steve dale et all
I don't think anyone has accused GR of having any intentions to asset strip the club. He has been criticised for building a stadium that was over-sized for a club of Darlington's potential. To the extent that GR had to borrow from the Sterling consortium in order to complete the construction of the stadium. This left GR with insufficient funds to sustain the club, forcing him to place it in administration. This resulted in the downward spiral of the Club's fortunes. Had GR been less ambitious with his stadium plans, there might have been a better outcome.
Cant argue with any of that. Owners after reynolds would have faired better in say a 10k all seater ground, the club could even have survived a few year in non league. Even if reynolds got his whish for concerts i doubt the sort of acts to fill such a huge stadium would have been attracted
Had he built a 10000 seat stadium he probably would not have gone bust. We would have been unlikely to drop into non league, and Elton John is a pretty big name act

shildonlad
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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by shildonlad » Sun May 09, 2021 6:31 pm

EDJOHNS wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 6:24 pm
shildonlad wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 6:18 pm
Maurice_Peddelty wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 5:18 pm
shildonlad wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 4:18 pm
Had reynolds not come in 1999 the club would have gone bust then and i dont recall anyone boycotting games in his early days as chairman. He seemed quite popular with some good ideas to get more fans in, especially those of us who were teenagers at the time who followed premier league teams. Im sure georege reynolds never had any intentions to asset strip and bankrupt the club in his early days like joe cala, steve dale et all
I don't think anyone has accused GR of having any intentions to asset strip the club. He has been criticised for building a stadium that was over-sized for a club of Darlington's potential. To the extent that GR had to borrow from the Sterling consortium in order to complete the construction of the stadium. This left GR with insufficient funds to sustain the club, forcing him to place it in administration. This resulted in the downward spiral of the Club's fortunes. Had GR been less ambitious with his stadium plans, there might have been a better outcome.
Cant argue with any of that. Owners after reynolds would have faired better in say a 10k all seater ground, the club could even have survived a few year in non league. Even if reynolds got his whish for concerts i doubt the sort of acts to fill such a huge stadium would have been attracted
Had he built a 10000 seat stadium he probably would not have gone bust. We would have been unlikely to drop into non league, and Elton John is a pretty big name act
When he played darlington he was doing the smaller stadiums, around 10k ish, dont think hes done the larger stadiums in recent years
I may not live in the north east anymore but i still support the north east teams

EDJOHNS
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Re: George Reynolds - Time to let it go

Post by EDJOHNS » Fri May 14, 2021 4:46 pm

shildonlad wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 6:31 pm
EDJOHNS wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 6:24 pm
shildonlad wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 6:18 pm
Maurice_Peddelty wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 5:18 pm
shildonlad wrote:
Sun May 09, 2021 4:18 pm
Had reynolds not come in 1999 the club would have gone bust then and i dont recall anyone boycotting games in his early days as chairman. He seemed quite popular with some good ideas to get more fans in, especially those of us who were teenagers at the time who followed premier league teams. Im sure georege reynolds never had any intentions to asset strip and bankrupt the club in his early days like joe cala, steve dale et all
I don't think anyone has accused GR of having any intentions to asset strip the club. He has been criticised for building a stadium that was over-sized for a club of Darlington's potential. To the extent that GR had to borrow from the Sterling consortium in order to complete the construction of the stadium. This left GR with insufficient funds to sustain the club, forcing him to place it in administration. This resulted in the downward spiral of the Club's fortunes. Had GR been less ambitious with his stadium plans, there might have been a better outcome.
Cant argue with any of that. Owners after reynolds would have faired better in say a 10k all seater ground, the club could even have survived a few year in non league. Even if reynolds got his whish for concerts i doubt the sort of acts to fill such a huge stadium would have been attracted
Had he built a 10000 seat stadium he probably would not have gone bust. We would have been unlikely to drop into non league, and Elton John is a pretty big name act
When he played darlington he was doing the smaller stadiums, around 10k ish, dont think hes done the larger stadiums in recent years
Not so. A quick look and he is due to do a gig at the Scotiabank Arena Ontario, Canada (20,000) shortly and that holds a couple less than 20,000.(Sold out). He has had many gigs on much larger venues as well over the years
I do not get your point anyway as he had nearly 15000 at the Arena did he not?
Also playing this year
AO Manchester. 21,000
O2 London. 20,000
FD Leeds. 14,000
Resort world Birmingham Nearly 16,000

By the way, the O2 has had to put on more and more concerts to cover demand. Had it been bigger it would have filled out.

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