DARLINGTON FC has hit its first target of raising £225,000 to fund the club's return home - but fans have been urged to keep the money coming in.

The club's board of directors announced this morning that more than 250 fans had purchased the extended season ticket packages.

Together with other equity injections and donations, the initial £225,000 target for funding the return to Darlington has been reached within just two weeks of its launch.

This means the club can now match fund a £150,000 grant pledged from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund.

The board said that because the initial target had been reached so quickly, it had decided to extend the deadline for the initiative by a further two weeks until Monday, April 6 allowing more time for fans to raise the funds across the month end and to join the DFC500 or Vice-Presidents’ Clubs.

Martin Jesper, the club's chief executive, said: "As a result of the huge interest in this initiative, and also the news that the club’s new website has already had more than 12,000 unique visitors in the same period, the board is now asking the devoted fans of the club, old and new, young and old, to continue to dig deep and help build a ground with an even greater potential capacity and has set an increased target of the £300,000 through this initiative."

Mr Jesper said that achieving the additional £75,000 should allow the club the opportunity to develop the facilities at Blackwell Meadows to FA ground grading category B rather than category C criteria, which is currently required, and ensure it was fit for purpose if the club progressed through the leagues.

"This will be the fans’ own ground back in town, built by the fans for the fans - let's make it happen," added Mr Jesper.

Local businesses and fans interested in supporting this Heading Home campaign through commercial packages or equity injections can contact the club at commercial@dfc1883.co.uk.

Further details are available on the Club’s official site: www.darlingtonfootballclub.co.uk