Darlington Almost Down and Out

[theonesmith]

Feel very sorry for them

BBC NEWS | England | No buyer found for Darlington FC

No buyer found for Darlington FC


Administrators for troubled Darlington FC have said the situation is "precarious" after failing to find a buyer by their deadline.

The club, known as the Quakers, went into administration in February.

Brackenbury Clark and Co set a deadline of 5 May for interested parties but it said no acceptable offers had been received by that time.

Assistant manager Martin Gray and nine of the club's backroom staff have lost their jobs, leaving just five staff.

In a statement, administrator Dave Clark said: "As everyone is aware, we set a deadline of 5 May for all interested parties to contact us in respect of purchasing Darlington Football Club.

"Unfortunately to date there have been no offers for the club that we are able to accept.

Unfortunately yesterday we had the unpleasant task of letting more staff go in order to cut costs, taking the current personnel to the absolute minimum

"We will continue to search for a purchaser for the club whilst we are able to operate, but the situation is precarious."

He said the club had only been able to operate until the end of the season because of funds provided by former Darlington chairman George Houghton.

Mr Clark said: "Unfortunately yesterday we had the unpleasant task of letting more staff go in order to cut costs, taking the current personnel to the absolute minimum."

He said the remaining staff would continue to defer part of their wages.

Mr Clark said he would continue to run the club for as long as possible but, until a buyer was found, he could not say what the future for the Quakers would be.

Former Darlington vice-chairman Raj Singh made an offer to buy the club, but later withdrew it.

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I have a friend (sorry for using the phrase!) who lives just outside Darlington and he told me that they had one guy who was interested in buying, but there was something to do with the financing of the stadium that is putting people off big time. There's a lot more to it than meets the eye it seems.

 

[theonesmith]

Does anyone know what happens to the league system if someone does fold?

 

[Slough Seagull]

Great shame. I thought their old ground was great and there was no need to move. The ego of the previous owner has killed that club.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Great shame. I thought their old ground was great and there was no need to move. The ego of the previous owner has killed that club.

Damn you for posting exactly what I was about to say - the old ground was lovely and perfectly suited to them. And now the move to the new one hasn't just cost them (and everyone else) that ground but it appears the club itself: that safecracking c*nt has killed it. Shameful.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The bottom line is there's no money to be made in football, especially in the lower leagues. The credit crunch means no-one's got capital to risk. There have been many close-run things but I honestly think this time many clubs WILL fold.

Personally, I think there should be more local council support for some of these clubs. In the USA sports franchises work with the local authorities to build stadia, negotiatte long leases etc but in this country the clubs are left to finance everything themselves.

 

[warsaw]

just for once wouldn't it be great if the football journalists and particularly the TV /radio soccer shows gave some attention to what is going on below the Premier League? Too much to hope I guess?

 

[surrey jim]

Does anyone know what happens to the league system if someone does fold?

Chester reinstated I beleive

 

[theonesmith]

Chester reinstated I beleive

And then it all shifts up one along the football pyramid?

 

[wizo7]

great shame! feel so sorry for all the supporters of Darlington that will suffer as a consequence of crap management of the club from the top!

 

[captainmorganrum]

Chester reinstated I beleive

I wonder if the League will reinstate Chester, with them being perilously close to going into admin themselves?
Perhaps a reprieve for good ol' Luton?

 

[theonesmith]

I wonder if the League will reinstate Chester, with them being perilously close to going into admin themselves?
Perhaps a reprieve for good ol' Luton?

Would of thought it would be down to who finishes where on the final table, it surely couldn't be decided on sentimental grounds

 

[Perry Milkins]

just for once wouldn't it be great if the football journalists and particularly the TV /radio soccer shows gave some attention to what is going on below the Premier League? Too much to hope I guess?

I think they make every effort to do this and am surprised you see things that way. The plight of Darlington will be given a lot of airplay you wait and see....unless of course...

Didier Drogba changes his breakfast cereal to Winalot instead of Oat Crinkles or Steven Gerrard has his hair styled differently or Big Sam gives a press conference about refereeing decisions in the last Blackburn match...you see there are many more important things for us to learn about!

 

[Lush]

Personally, I think there should be more local council support for some of these clubs. In the USA sports franchises work with the local authorities to build stadia, negotiatte long leases etc but in this country the clubs are left to finance everything themselves.

Only if you're foresighted enough to be a community club, using the club's image and presence in the town to provide education/training for disadvantaged groups etc. Then it's probably a bit easier to get extra government/council funding for the facilities you're offering. Some clubs don't seem to have cottoned on to this or have directors with the enthusiasm for it.

 

[captainmorganrum]

Would of thought it would be down to who finishes where on the final table, it surely couldn't be decided on sentimental grounds

But reinstating bankrupt Chester over solvent and well-run Luton Town woudn't make sense would it?

I'm sure they wouldn't do it for purely sentimental reasons, but it would benefit the rest of League Two as well when you take into account the two teams attendances.

 

[theonesmith]

Still don't think it would work like that. At best they'd call a one off match between the two to decide it, knowing it would probably go Luton's way..

 

[y2dave]

No chance for Luton, they are 11 points behind Chester so even a deduction of 10 points and Darlo going bust will not save them. Chester in admin would surely have to be re-instated.

 

[NF9]

It does work like that the team in 22'nd would be reinstated (Best team who went down)

 

[Bevendean Hillbilly]

I feel sorry for Darlo, and the other clubs imploding, but everyone knows the game is entirely responsible for its own calamities with dodgy finances, fiddled taxes,unrealisable assets and profit and loss lines that look more like roller coasters than financial statements. They are businesses at the end of the day and, those that can't make a profit, should, and will, fold. The big difference is that there are supporters involved who quite literally LOVE their clubs so their demise is so much more heartbreaking than if sock shop or woolies go under.

Everyone in Darlingtons position should look at what AFC Wimbledon have achieved, since The Dons went to the wall, and build up again from the bottom.

 

[The Ringleader]

poor darlo, prem club should step in with a money making friendly just to help them extend the time they can search 4 investors