DARLINGTON Football Club will have their appeal heard by the Football Association regarding exclusion from the play-offs for failing to meet ground grading requirements tomorrow.

Officials of the National League have said that Quakers, who are fourth in the league table, are not eligible for the play-offs – and therefore promotion – as they did not have 500 seats under cover at Blackwell Meadows by the March 31 deadline.

Quakers lodged an appeal against the ruling on Thursday last week and the case will be heard at Wembley Stadium, the FA’s headquarters.

Poole Town and Hungerford Town of the National League South, who are in similar situation to Darlington, are also to hear their appeals tomorrow.

Among the main arguments in Quakers’ appeal surrounds a rule demanding additional seating in excess of the ‘Category B’ requirements, which is only applied at the tier Darlington compete at.

At other tiers, promoted clubs have until March 31 in the year following promotion in order to meet any additional ground grading standards.

In their appeal submission, Darlington also say: “In order for clubs to participate in the National League North/South playoffs they are effectively required to invest significant amounts of money on covered seating with no guarantee of a play-off spot as of March 31 in that season, let alone promotion.”

Furthermore, the board say they relied on a ground grading report in December that referred to “500 seats” – but they point out that no reference was made in that report to and requirement the seats should be “covered”.

Darlington’s final match of the season takes place Saturday at Salford City, where a point would secure their place in the top five – which would usually earn them a play-off berth.

The ground-grading issue was raised at a fans forum on Friday, when the club’s finances were also discussed.

Meanwhile, the Darlington FC Supporters Group is well on the way to raising the targeted £42,000 to pay for an overhaul of the Blackwell Meadows pitch comprising drainage and surfacing works.

Fundraising began last Friday and at the time of writing £30,076 had been pledged. Pledges will turn into community shares should the target be met by the May 15 deadline.