AS a new era dawns for Darlington Football Club, with the first game due to be played in its new stadium tomorrow, it seems an appropriate moment to reflect on the reign of the club's chairman George Reynolds.

On the plus side, we have the club's very existence. Mr Reynolds saved it from bankruptcy by settling its sizeable debts and introducing a realistic pay policy for its players. The histories of many smaller football league clubs are littered with examples of boastful new chairmen who talked big but spent little. There's no question that Mr Reynolds has backed his words with cash.

We also have the new stadium - the Reynolds Arena - which even in its not-quite-finished state is a fine structure beyond the wildest dreams of most Darlington fans, and players, four years ago.

On the debit side we will leave to one side Mr Reynolds' immature attitude to people and organisations he doesn't like and the disgraceful use of the temporary noticeboard facing the A66 roundabout to insult those same individuals and organisations.

More importantly we have the club's failure, so far, to honour undertakings it gave when originally granted planning permission for the stadium. Arguably some of these are minor. Others, such as the residents' parking arrangements, are manifestly not. The club has failed to give satisfactory reasons for failing to comply with these legally-enforceable conditions and its spokesman seemingly suggested last week that it would do only what was necessary to get the stadium open. It would appear there may be a very long wait for some of the provisions promised by the club.

We hope the Quakers get off to a winning start at the Reynolds Arena tomorrow, the first of many victories which will help to fill the cavernous interior of their new home. We also hope that very shortly Mr Reynolds will act in an honourable fashion, declaring unequivocally when he will meet his legal obligations to the town which granted him the right to build the stadium.

Mr Reynolds must understand that the respect he craves has to be earned. Will he be a man of his word?