Darlington FC: A good start - but the players must be kept on board (From The Northern Echo)

Darlington FC: A good start - but the players must be kept on board

8:32pm Thursday 16th February 2012 in Peter Barron By Peter Barron

THE shares scheme aimed at enabling Darlington Football Club to go forward as a community-owned club appears to have got off to an encouraging start.

By 6pm tonight, 44 fans had invested nearly £10,000, with 100 more unprocessed pledges likely to double that figure.

On top of the £70,000 already collected by supporters' groups, it is a strong foundation. But with a target of £750,000 by the end of the season, there remains a long way to go before we can say Darlington Football Club is safe.

It is important to maintain the momentum and The Northern Echo has an important role to play in keeping the club's plight in the public spotlight.

However, an area of immediate concern must be the apparent grievances felt by the players who have been magnificent in extremely difficult circumstances.

Their perception is that they have been kept in the dark over where they stand and how much they will be paid and they will today hold talks with administrator Harvey Madden to try to clarify their position.

It is important that the financial challenges the players face are not underestimated.

The last thing Darlington Football Club needs at the moment is a pay dispute involving the players and we hope a satisfactory arrangement can be reached.

The larger than average crowds which are needed for the rest of the season will be dependent on quality football being played at The Northern Echo Arena.

And that will require Craig Liddle being able to call on the support of all the senior players left at his disposal.

Unless the players' concerns are overcome, the dangers for the long campaign ahead are clear.