SUPPORTERS of Darlington Football Club have urged fans via an online video to invest in the club to secure its future.

A major fundraising initiative has been launched by the club as it looks to return home to Darlington in a groundshare with Darlington Rugby Club at its Blackwell Meadows site.

The video promoting the fundraising has been produced by media students at Darlington College and features Quakers manager Martin Gray, who explains why the club is so important to the town.

He is joined by former manager David Hodgson and representatives from employers and social groups in Darlington who have joined the campaign to bring the club back home and shore up its finances.

After announcing the first step of the rugby groundsharing agreement last month, Darlington FC launched a fundraising initiative to allow fans to buy further shares in the club, in an effort to raise at least £50,000.

Martin Jesper, CEO of Darlington FC, said the fundraising work would start in earnest now the Christmas period was over, although he admitted the postponement of the Boxing Day match at Heritage Park, in Bishop Auckland, had been a blow.

A fans' forum to explain the fundraising initiatives in more detail will take place tomorrow (Monday, January 6) at Blackwell Meadows, at 7.15pm.

A business breakfast networking meeting, open to all local businesses, will be held at the same venue on Thursday, January 9, at 7.30am.

The meeting has been billed as an opportunity for businesses to understand more about the club, its current position and the commercial benefits of investing.

Mr Jesper said: “The video and the business meeting are about opening up the fundraising to more than just the football fans.

"We’ve got good feedback that there are a number of people interested in coming.

“The fundraising has been quiet over Christmas but we expected that. With these meetings we want people to come and hear from the horse’s mouth about what we are trying to do and what it means for the club.

“We do everything we can to get the information out there, but it’s important we get a chance to look people in the eye and give them the whole picture.”

For full details of the investment opportunities available, visit squareknot.co.uk/pitches For more information about the business breakfast meeting email commercial@dfc1883.co.uk