DISGRUNTLED fans of Darlington FC made their feelings clear at the weekend.

A banner draped across the town's famous brick train read: "All aboard the Reynolds express - next stop the conference."

The message was aimed at the Quaker's flamboyant chairman George Reynolds and the team's poor run of results this season.

Hopes that Darlington would win promotion to the Second Division have been replaced by fears of relegation to the Nationwide Conference.

Supporters and critics of Mr Reynolds have waged a cheeky war against the former safe cracker and his controversial plans to build a new stadium.

First, a notice was put up with the message George Reynolds 1, Marcus Nimmo 0.

That was a reference to the fact that the Neasham Road Action Group, of which Mr Nimmo is a member, had just lost its fight to prevent the stadium from being built. Then, opponents of Mr Reynolds' 25,000-seater stadium put up a sign suggesting he had scored an own goal.

The sign, at the Neasham Road site where the stadium is due to be built despite vociferous protests from some residents, proclaimed: Builders 1 Reynolds 0. It referred to the recent parting of the ways between the football club and Taylor Woodrow, which was due to be the main contractor on the £15m development.