Found this on a Darlington forum. If you read this and are untouched you must be made of stone.
Let’s make Barrow on Saturday a celebration of the life of Darlington Football Club, not a wake or a funeral or an attack of those who have dropped us into this position.
Go to Barrow and show people around the world how proud we are of our team and our lads. Let’s show people that we still care, that we are still proud of the club and our town. Let’s show people that Darlington Football Club stands as an ambassador for our town and our area and we will not just give it up and slope off home. We will fight on.
Let’s show the players that that shirt still means something, that that shirt still needs to be worn with pride and that it is worth putting on that shirt and running out on that pitch and representing all of us one last time. One last go lads, everything you have got, one last time, 90 minutes of life as a Darlo player left. Shit or bust, hero or zero. Go out with a bang and not a whimper.
Use this game to thank them and the legend that is Craig Liddle for everything they have done recently, against so much strife, unpleasantness and uncertainty and tell them that we are so proud that they are carrying on, lets get behind whoever takes a place on that pitch, regardless of opinion, past reputation or performance on the day. Because this might be the last time!
Lets show people what it means to be a fan of Darlo, celebrate those 128 years of existence. Celebrate everything that has gone before, the good, the bad, and the ugly, show people that we although we have been here through thin and thinner, that we have suffered blow after blow we are still not beaten ,we are still not broken, we are still here and we still stand proudly behind Darlington Football Club.
Show them that although we have been on knocked down and might be on the canvas right now we will get back on our feet and come out punching. It will be us who land the knock out blow. Use this day to shame all of those plastics and couldn’t give a damns in the town into thinking about what they could have been a part of, make them see what have been about, what we are about and what we will be about again.
Lets celebrate the good times, the 85 promotion, Boro, the Conference win in 89/90, Welling away, 90/91 champions, Rochdale at home, Knowles, Little, Hodgy Platt, Hodgy (again), Wembley in 96 and 2000 and that sweet moment in May when a little fella headed home from half a yard to win us the cup.
Make everyone who has knocked us or laughed at us over the years understand that today we embrace all of the crap players, the terrible teams, the rubbish managers and the crazy chairman who have afflicted us. Why? Because all of that makes the few good times even better. Because all of those things are what Darlington Football Club is about. Let’s show them what it means to call your self a Darlo fan one last time.
Lets also think of all those people in the Tin Shed in the sky who aren’t able to stand with us on Saturday, think about what the club meant to them and how they passed on that love for the club to you, think about how one day you want to pass that love on to the next generation so that they know what being a Darlo fan is all about. I am sure they will be stood leaning on that crash barrier under the Sunday Sun board with their scarf’s and flasks of Bovril thinking "typical bloody Darlo" - but they would still make the journey if they could! In fact I am sure they will be there with us. Sing that bit louder for them.
If anyone is unsure about going and is able to go they should make the trip, it could be your only chance to say goodbye to the team you love. It could be your last chance to wear the black and white and get behind the lads. Do whatever it takes to get to Barrow, wear your shirts with pride and wave your scarf’s one last time. Tell anyone you meet where you are going and why. Tell them you are proud to support the lads!
And should this turn out to be the last time then lets celebrate all of that, lets support the lads and the manager, lets keep singing up to the final whistle and beyond because this club means something to each and every one of us, it has been part of our lives for so long, it is what makes us who were are, it is what makes us better than everyone else and it might not be there for much longer. Let’s make this day one of the greatest moments for this football club.
If it is to be the end lets go out on a high, all guns blazing giving it everything we have got and not for one minute forgetting that we are Darlington Football Club and we will bounce back!
From the BBC Maybe Darlington had more fans there than we will manage on Saturday.
Cash-strapped Darlington fell to a convincing defeat at Barrow in what could be the Quakers' last game if a financial backer fails to come forward.
Such was the eagerness to witness the away side, crowd congestion delayed kick-off by 10 minutes, before Adam Boyes rifled in for the hosts.
Clinical Barrow continued to show little sympathy when Andy Cook planted in a header from Gavin Skelton's cross.
And Darlington's misery was complete when Cook slotted home his second.
The away fans turned up in their droves despite the threat of closure remaining a stark reality, with exactly half the 2,144 attendance making up the visiting contingent.
What I find so galling about this and similar cases like Scarborough are that the sums of money that push these clubs over the edge are small change to average premiership players.
What is the more deserving cause Darlington or Scarborough or Marcus Bent or Danny Murphy?
(perhaps unfair to put Murphy with Bent but he's topical)
But for the grace of god go i (Charlton was so close to this remember)
Hopefully they will be back like Wimbledon, Accrington Stanley and a few other clubs that have wilted under financial pressure.
But we all know why they will come back dont we ??
Its the fans that with breathe new life into the club because they will not let it die and hopefully they will be able to make it a better club in the future.
Absolutely gutted for them, as a young squaddie I used to get chased around Darlington when training at Catterick and hated the place, in recent years I have lectured there a few times and seen the new ground on the outskirts of town. Darlo has completely its own personality and is very proud of its industrial heritage. I am ashamed that though I knew they were struggling I had no idea it was this bad. I saw loads of them in May at Kings Cross the day we played Hartlepool (their main rivals) and they beat Mansfield at Wembley, Michael Smith had alrady been linked with us then. I cant imagine what it must feel like, even when we were locked out in 84 I never really believed we would go under...so very very sad
What I find so galling about this and similar cases like Scarborough are that the sums of money that push these clubs over the edge are small change to average premiership players.
The Chairman of Darlington claimed to be putting in ~ £80,000 per month to keep the club afloat. The payments in relation to their 25000 all seater stadium are significant, realistically they may need to be in Championship to be viable. An article in WSC indicated that some fans felt they only way forward might be administration and starting again.
Now, this may look like I'm dancing on their grave (which I'm not and I wish them the best) but does anyone know how the Michael Smith deal was structure? I presume like most deals for young players, there were numerous clauses depending on his future success. Can anyone confirm that in a scenario where he meets them, there won't be anyone to pay them to, and thus we don't have to pay them?
Now, this may look like I'm dancing on their grave (which I'm not and I wish them the best) but does anyone know how the Michael Smith deal was structure? I presume like most deals for young players, there were numerous clauses depending on his future success. Can anyone confirm that in a scenario where he meets them, there won't be anyone to pay them to, and thus we don't have to pay them?
No I can't imagine any scenario like that. Their creditors will still want paying.
I spent almost 7 years living close to Darlington (Bishop Auckland) and honestly don't recall ever meeting a Darlo supporter or even seeing anyone wearing one of their shirts, and I travelled into darlo centre on a daily basis. The crook Reynolds thought that building a new stadium would bring in the fans, not realising that the lack of quality on the pitch is what normally keeps people away. Might be wrong but heard they actually moved back to their old ground?
A real shame. Didn't realise Gary Pallister was Operations Director there.
Something I just read on their Wikipedia made me chuckle
"The Darlington Arena was built to hold 25,000 seated spectators, yet a condition was imposed at the planning stage that "at no time should the owner of the property admit or permit the admission of more than 10,000 people to the new stadium".[87] Capacity was for a time restricted to 6,000 for weekend events and 4,500 for midweek events unless prior written permission was granted to exceed those limits.[88][89]
Beats me Sisdom but all I can say is that it appears that the owners vanity outstripped the reality and as a result a great old club wil probably go out of existence at least for the time being. Great shame
Now, this may look like I'm dancing on their grave (which I'm not and I wish them the best) but does anyone know how the Michael Smith deal was structure? I presume like most deals for young players, there were numerous clauses depending on his future success. Can anyone confirm that in a scenario where he meets them, there won't be anyone to pay them to, and thus we don't have to pay them?
No I can't imagine any scenario like that. Their creditors will still want paying.
Even if we're talking about 3-4 years down the line? Not sure if you're an expert on insolvency (I'm not) but how are potential future revenues divvied up between creditors?
Its so sad. I feel for the fans who really love their club.
If Charlton win. That makes my weekend .If they lose it gives a depressing feeling.
I cannot imagine having your club dead and finished never to play again. It's like losing a close relation. Someone you love. Someone you see every Saturday to cheer you up and suddenly they are not there.
I went to the Ebbsfleet vs Darlo game back in November and stood with the Darlo fans. They're a really good bunch and I really hope they can survive. I had a few drinks with some of them in the Club House after the game and they were having doubts about Darlo back then!
I don't want to sound heartless, and I was touched by the post by Seth, but every time a football club spends money that it doesn't have someone has to pick up the tab.
We have been very, very lucky that Richard Murray has continued to do that, along with others over the years, but in many cases the debt that gets waived is to the Inland Revenue - which is you and I.
Portsmouth should have been wound up for their excessive debts. They manages to get their creditors to 'waive' c. £120m. That was, in my view unacceptable. Even though fans have little say in how their clubs are run, they have no right to expect someone else to bank roll their hobbies.
Maybe Darlington are paying the price for previous football crimes, but until football clubs stop spending someone else's money then go into administration and negotiate their debt to almost nothing we should expect to see more of this.
Comments
I met twins who supported Darlington when I was a lad so took an interest in the club for a while.
Ground is an absolute white elephant.
Let’s make Barrow on Saturday a celebration of the life of Darlington Football Club, not a wake or a funeral or an attack of those who have dropped us into this position.
Go to Barrow and show people around the world how proud we are of our team and our lads. Let’s show people that we still care, that we are still proud of the club and our town. Let’s show people that Darlington Football Club stands as an ambassador for our town and our area and we will not just give it up and slope off home. We will fight on.
Let’s show the players that that shirt still means something, that that shirt still needs to be worn with pride and that it is worth putting on that shirt and running out on that pitch and representing all of us one last time. One last go lads, everything you have got, one last time, 90 minutes of life as a Darlo player left. Shit or bust, hero or zero. Go out with a bang and not a whimper.
Use this game to thank them and the legend that is Craig Liddle for everything they have done recently, against so much strife, unpleasantness and uncertainty and tell them that we are so proud that they are carrying on, lets get behind whoever takes a place on that pitch, regardless of opinion, past reputation or performance on the day. Because this might be the last time!
Lets show people what it means to be a fan of Darlo, celebrate those 128 years of existence. Celebrate everything that has gone before, the good, the bad, and the ugly, show people that we although we have been here through thin and thinner, that we have suffered blow after blow we are still not beaten ,we are still not broken, we are still here and we still stand proudly behind Darlington Football Club.
Show them that although we have been on knocked down and might be on the canvas right now we will get back on our feet and come out punching. It will be us who land the knock out blow. Use this day to shame all of those plastics and couldn’t give a damns in the town into thinking about what they could have been a part of, make them see what have been about, what we are about and what we will be about again.
Lets celebrate the good times, the 85 promotion, Boro, the Conference win in 89/90, Welling away, 90/91 champions, Rochdale at home, Knowles, Little, Hodgy Platt, Hodgy (again), Wembley in 96 and 2000 and that sweet moment in May when a little fella headed home from half a yard to win us the cup.
Make everyone who has knocked us or laughed at us over the years understand that today we embrace all of the crap players, the terrible teams, the rubbish managers and the crazy chairman who have afflicted us. Why? Because all of that makes the few good times even better. Because all of those things are what Darlington Football Club is about. Let’s show them what it means to call your self a Darlo fan one last time.
Lets also think of all those people in the Tin Shed in the sky who aren’t able to stand with us on Saturday, think about what the club meant to them and how they passed on that love for the club to you, think about how one day you want to pass that love on to the next generation so that they know what being a Darlo fan is all about. I am sure they will be stood leaning on that crash barrier under the Sunday Sun board with their scarf’s and flasks of Bovril thinking "typical bloody Darlo" - but they would still make the journey if they could! In fact I am sure they will be there with us. Sing that bit louder for them.
If anyone is unsure about going and is able to go they should make the trip, it could be your only chance to say goodbye to the team you love. It could be your last chance to wear the black and white and get behind the lads. Do whatever it takes to get to Barrow, wear your shirts with pride and wave your scarf’s one last time. Tell anyone you meet where you are going and why. Tell them you are proud to support the lads!
And should this turn out to be the last time then lets celebrate all of that, lets support the lads and the manager, lets keep singing up to the final whistle and beyond because this club means something to each and every one of us, it has been part of our lives for so long, it is what makes us who were are, it is what makes us better than everyone else and it might not be there for much longer. Let’s make this day one of the greatest moments for this football club.
If it is to be the end lets go out on a high, all guns blazing giving it everything we have got and not for one minute forgetting that we are Darlington Football Club and we will bounce back!
From the BBC
Maybe Darlington had more fans there than we will manage on Saturday.
Cash-strapped Darlington fell to a convincing defeat at Barrow in what could be the Quakers' last game if a financial backer fails to come forward.
Such was the eagerness to witness the away side, crowd congestion delayed kick-off by 10 minutes, before Adam Boyes rifled in for the hosts.
Clinical Barrow continued to show little sympathy when Andy Cook planted in a header from Gavin Skelton's cross.
And Darlington's misery was complete when Cook slotted home his second.
The away fans turned up in their droves despite the threat of closure remaining a stark reality, with exactly half the 2,144 attendance making up the visiting contingent.
What is the more deserving cause Darlington or Scarborough or Marcus Bent or Danny Murphy?
(perhaps unfair to put Murphy with Bent but he's topical)
But for the grace of god go i (Charlton was so close to this remember)
Hopefully they will be back like Wimbledon, Accrington Stanley and a few other clubs that have wilted under financial pressure.
But we all know why they will come back dont we ??
Its the fans that with breathe new life into the club because they will not let it die and hopefully they will be able to make it a better club in the future.
Shame. Local club with long history...hope they come back AFC style.
Something I just read on their Wikipedia made me chuckle
"The Darlington Arena was built to hold 25,000 seated spectators, yet a condition was imposed at the planning stage that "at no time should the owner of the property admit or permit the admission of more than 10,000 people to the new stadium".[87] Capacity was for a time restricted to 6,000 for weekend events and 4,500 for midweek events unless prior written permission was granted to exceed those limits.[88][89]
Now what the hell is that all about!
If Charlton win. That makes my weekend .If they lose it gives a depressing feeling.
I cannot imagine having your club dead and finished never to play again. It's like losing a close relation. Someone you love. Someone you see every Saturday to cheer you up and suddenly they are not there.
Where do you go ?????
http://www.change.org/petitions/manchester-united-football-club-play-a-friendly-against-darlington-fc
Bit of a long shot (& theres only 20 odd signatures on there at the mo!) but said I would spread the word anyway.
We have been very, very lucky that Richard Murray has continued to do that, along with others over the years, but in many cases the debt that gets waived is to the Inland Revenue - which is you and I.
Portsmouth should have been wound up for their excessive debts. They manages to get their creditors to 'waive' c. £120m. That was, in my view unacceptable. Even though fans have little say in how their clubs are run, they have no right to expect someone else to bank roll their hobbies.
Maybe Darlington are paying the price for previous football crimes, but until football clubs stop spending someone else's money then go into administration and negotiate their debt to almost nothing we should expect to see more of this.