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Hotel owner hits out over club’s £3,500 unpaid bill (From The Northern Echo)
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Hotel owner hits out over club’s £3,500 unpaid bill
8:33am Thursday 9th April 2009
Hotel owner hits out over club’s £3,500 unpaid bill A HOTEL owner says she could go out of business, because Darlington Football Club owes her £3,500 for a player’s six-month stay.
Julia Ellwood, of the Devonport Hotel, says money owed to her for loan striker Liam Hatch’s stay could make the difference between her surviving the summer or going bust.
Mr Hatch has been living at the hotel, in Middleton One Row, near Darlington, since October, when he signed from Peterbrough United on a short-term deal.
But despite initial promises that she would receive regular payments for £50 a night, the payments fell behind.
By February 25, when the club entered administration, it owed the hotel £3,500.
The club has since kept up to date with payments, but because of the administration process, has not paid debts incurred before February 25.
It means Miss Ellwood faces a long wait to see how much, if any, of the debt she receives.
She said: “That money would have seen me through.
“I have treated Liam like a son. I have done all his washing and ironing with no extra charge.
“It is £3,500, which may not seem a lot to them, but it is a lot of money to me.
“I am so upset when I think about it, especially when I see George Houghton finding £150,000 to save the club.
“If he can just find that money now, why couldn’t he find it before?”
Administrator Dave Clark said that if he paid Miss Ellwood, he would have to pay all debtors, and said: “If I pay everybody out, what is the point in being in administration?
I cannot pay everybody and I cannot pay debts incurred before the club entered administration. Everybody is treated exactly the same.
“She might blame Darlington going into administration, but Darlington did not make her let the player stay and she made that decision to let them run up a bill.
“It is not my fault, it is hers – she made the decision. If someone stays in hotels from now on, we will make sure we pay.”
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Your Say YourNorth-East
jabdc5, Darlo says...
10:58am Thu 9 Apr 09
Jonathan, Darlington says...
12:23pm Thu 9 Apr 09
mrcoops1984, Stockton says...
1:34pm Thu 9 Apr 09
This is absolutely disgusting!! There's no other word for it. It is common practice if a person stays in a hotel, they pay for the room. I agree with what Ms Ellwood has done and I would have done the same. You would expect to be paid by the football club. The administrator, Dave Clark is an idiot. He's doing nothing but placing the club's good reputation at stake here. I am a loyal Darlington supporter but at present, when you are messing everybody about both Mr Clark and Mr Houghton I am not. Despite being a season ticket holder, I've not attended any home games for weeks as I disagree with the whole set up. From the players, staff and supporters - everyone is being treated so badly. So I am not prepared to put up with it anymore.
I will come back to the Arena when there's a whole new change in personnel. This doesn't mean allowing Raj Singh in either as he's as bad as the rest of them!
DarrenK, Darlington says...
2:06pm Thu 9 Apr 09
billysaid, aycliffe says...
2:35pm Thu 9 Apr 09
billysaid, aycliffe says...
2:46pm Thu 9 Apr 09
verysafedriver, darlington says...
3:37pm Thu 9 Apr 09
big arnie, Darlo says...
3:42pm Thu 9 Apr 09
robocop, darlington says...
8:40pm Thu 9 Apr 09
robocop, darlington says...
8:52pm Thu 9 Apr 09
billysaid wrote:why should mr hatch pay billy? even if the lad does earn good money its not down to him it was down to the club!if miss ellwood had been running a proper ship she would of been getting paid weekly or at worst monthly.like i said bad management on her behalf!
anyway,why dont the footballer pay the bill himself if she was his personal servant for 6 months ?. we know he is not hard up being in football.
robocop, darlington says...
9:26pm Thu 9 Apr 09
robocop, darlington says...
9:44pm Thu 9 Apr 09
mrcoops1984 wrote:why is mr singh bad mr coops? if his cash can save the club then why not him? come on why not him i say!!!!!!!!!!
“It is not my fault, it is hers – she made the decision. If someone stays in hotels from now on, we will make sure we pay.” This is absolutely disgusting!! There's no other word for it. It is common practice if a person stays in a hotel, they pay for the room. I agree with what Ms Ellwood has done and I would have done the same. You would expect to be paid by the football club. The administrator, Dave Clark is an idiot. He's doing nothing but placing the club's good reputation at stake here. I am a loyal Darlington supporter but at present, when you are messing everybody about both Mr Clark and Mr Houghton I am not. Despite being a season ticket holder, I've not attended any home games for weeks as I disagree with the whole set up. From the players, staff and supporters - everyone is being treated so badly. So I am not prepared to put up with it anymore. I will come back to the Arena when there's a whole new change in personnel. This doesn't mean allowing Raj Singh in either as he's as bad as the rest of them!
detachedbystander, School Aycliffe says...
12:07am Fri 10 Apr 09
Can anyone else add a comment before robocop's circuits overheat and he explodes (I'm joking, robocop! :-) )
If I take the paper's word at face value, surely by, maybe - say - the two month point, the owner should have called the debt in.
But there may be more to this story?
robocop, darlington says...
3:57pm Fri 10 Apr 09
robocop, darlington says...
4:02pm Fri 10 Apr 09
DarrenK wrote:rented her house out to the footy team darren! thats sounds cosy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My current partner used to work at the Devonport years ago, and she told me Julia was always chasing payments usually the club were always months behind. Told me at one point she even rented her own house out to them aswell. Guess it's her own fault for letting it happen. If it were my business i'd want payment up front. If £3500 can put your business at risk clearly your business isn't doing that good in the first place. Take the hint
robocop, darlington says...
4:07pm Fri 10 Apr 09
!!
The Blackrat, Richmond says...
2:28pm Wed 15 Apr 09
Whilst the reference to doing his washing and ironing adds a personal touch to the story..its of no relevance but does speak volumes of Miss Ellwoods kindness to her guests..a personal quality that Darlington football club doesn't seem to extend to those who assist them. The comments from administrator blaming Miss Ellwood are pathetic. If Darlington knew it was in fininancial difficulties it should have moved the player out, not continued trading on its reputation as a large business. Small business do trade on small turnover..so the £3500 money might be whats needed to clear the hotels monthly bills..and one bad month can put a small business under.
robocop, darlington says...
4:47pm Wed 15 Apr 09
The Blackrat wrote:why should mr hatch pay the bill? it wasnt his to pay end of! so what if the lad gets good wages good luck to him.like i said earlier its just a cry for help before the business goes down,as for the personal touch bit get me a bucket please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The point Miss Ellwood is making is that one doesn't expect a large business like Darlington football club to behave like the scoundrels who stay overnight in hotels and then scarper in the morning without paying the bill. Its about morals and ethics. I suppose if Mr Hatch had anything more about him..he would pay the bill from his overinflated wages as a football player. Whilst the reference to doing his washing and ironing adds a personal touch to the story..its of no relevance but does speak volumes of Miss Ellwoods kindness to her guests..a personal quality that Darlington football club doesn't seem to extend to those who assist them. The comments from administrator blaming Miss Ellwood are pathetic. If Darlington knew it was in fininancial difficulties it should have moved the player out, not continued trading on its reputation as a large business. Small business do trade on small turnover..so the £3500 money might be whats needed to clear the hotels monthly bills..and one bad month can put a small business under.
HOTEL BILL: Julia Ellwood, from the Devonport
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monteforte, Darlington says...
10:42am Thu 9 Apr 09