Britain is in the grip of one of the coldest spells of weather in a generation, but in a footballing sense, nowhere has suffered a harsher winter than Darlington. Yet in his first major interview since taking over the club, chairman Raj Singh tells Chief Sports Writer Scott Wilson that he can foresee a sunnier future.

WHEN Raj Singh drives in to work at The Northern Echo Arena, the first thing he sees is a mound of snow heaped high against the side of the stadium.

It is a reminder of the harsh wintry conditions that have led to the postponement of Darlington’s last five matches, but it is not something that figures prominently on his list of concerns.

Instead, it is the mountain of problems piled high inside his office that cause outside observers to conclude that the Darlington chairman has the most difficult job in professional football.

Eventually, the snow will melt away and disappear. The fear, on a crisp January afternoon, is that the myriad troubles afflicting the bottomranked club in the Football League will not.

“It’s been tough, really tough,” said Singh, when asked to reflect on the five months that have followed his official displacement of former chairman George Houghton in August 2009. “In truth, it’s been a lot tougher than I expected.

“I’ve lost count of the number of people who have asked me what I’m doing. I was out with friends on Wednesday night, and they were putting their arms around me and saying, ‘I worry for you’.

“But I’m a big enough guy to take all this on the chin. I’d like to think I have a decent enough idea of what it will take to turn all this around, and I’m ready to give it the very best shot I can.”

Singh’s optimism appears misplaced given the 14-point gap that separates Darlington from a position of safety at the foot of League Two, but dig a little deeper, and it does not take long to realise that it is not entirely without cause.

On the pitch, the Quakers could hardly be doing any worse, but off it, things have improved dramatically since last February, when Houghton plunged the club into administration with losses of more than £54,000-a-week.

Back then, the club’s total debt was estimated at more than £4m. Today, they do not owe a penny to either the banks or other financial institutions.

They continue to incur losses – how could they not with a 20-strong playing staff to pay from the income generated by an average home attendance that has dipped below the 2,000 mark this season? But those losses come directly from Singh’s pocket.

The Teesside-born businessman, who generated the bulk of his personal fortune from the provision of care homes, is reluctant to put a figure on the level of his investment since August, but it is safe to assume it is approaching, if not exceeding, the seven-figure mark.

“When we agreed a fee with the administrators, at that point the club was debt free,”

said Singh. “Since then, there have been ongoing costs that have been incurred to keep the club running, but they have all come out of my pocket.

“I have met all of those myself. I am covering those losses, rather than banks or loans or anything like that. As we sit here talking, we do not owe a penny to the banks.

“People have asked, ‘Why would he want to get involved when it means he’s going to lose money?’ Well the answer to that is that, as a football fan, I genuinely felt I could make a difference.

“Yes, there are losses, and people are right, no businessman is going to keep putting his hand in his pocket forever. But while there are losses I am having to cover now, those losses do not exceed the assets we have in the company.”

Those assets are primarily the stadium and the land around it, both of which Singh owns jointly with Houghton.

In the short term, Singh is willing and able to bankroll Darlington from his private fortune. In the medium-tolong term, the future of the club will be more dependent on outside finance or the development or dispersal of its assets.

“In the medium to longer term, it would be a massive help to be able to resolve the situation with the land, the council and Mr Houghton,”

said Singh.

“That’s where there’s a real potential for money coming in, whether it is through the sale of the site, or its development into something that will help to raise revenue.

“Ultimately, that’s something we’ll have to look into, but for the time being there is one focus and one focus alone, and that’s keeping this club in the Football League.”

In the eyes of many, it is a battle that has already been lost. Darlington have 25 games to play this season, and there is every chance that survival will require them to win at least 15 of them.

Given that they have only recorded two League Two victories so far, it would appear an all-but-impossible task, but Singh is not about to throw in the towel without a fight.

Three new players arrived in the second half of this week, and three more are likely to follow as manager Steve Staunton attempts to engineer the greatest of great escapes.

“Our budget is all to pot now,” Singh admitted. “But I believe we have to back the manager and give him the ammunition he needs to have a fighting chance. We want him to have a go.

“Steve inherited a very difficult situation, with a squad that wasn’t really strong enough for the job it was intended for.

“So we’re committed to helping him as much as we can by bringing new players in, to give us a fighting chance in the second half of the season. We’re expecting five or six new players to come in and we’re going to give this a shot.”

What they are not going to do, however, is jeopardise the club’s long-term survival in order to pursue the unlikely goal of survival.

The contracts that were offered to this week’s recruits were drawn up with half an eye on survival, and half an eye on life in the Blue Square Premier.

Relegation is not a word that is encouraged at The Northern Echo Arena, but nor is it one that is banned.

Singh is realistic enough to accept that life at a lower level is a distinct possibility next season, and is absolutely adamant that Darlington will continue to exist if they fail to clamber out of the bottom two.

“There is absolutely no danger of relegation wrecking what we have started,” he said.

“We have plans in place – definitely for next season, if not the next two or three seasons after that as well – and they are not dependent on us staying in the league.

“Our primary aim at the moment is to recruit players who are capable of keeping us in this league.

“That is the aim. But at the same time, we need to be realistic and, if the worst does happen, we need to be prepared and use the last two to three months of the season to give us the best possible chance of hitting the ground running next season.

“The most important thing is that all the decisions that are taken will be for the longterm good of the football club, and if or when I do leave, I am absolutely determined that the club will be in a better position than when I found it.’’ Crucially, Staunton is supportive of Singh’s twintrack thinking.

Despite never having worked in the North-East prior to his arrival as Colin Todd’s replacement in October, the former Republic of Ireland boss has developed a strong sense of responsibility for what happens at Darlington over the next few years.

“I have a lot of respect for Steve,” said Singh.

“He’s working for the club, rather than working for himself. He’s not thinking, ‘Well I might not be here next season so I’ll just throw a whole load of money at it and if it works, it works, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t.

“That’s not his approach, and that’s crucial to me.

Without mentioning names, that’s where this club has gone wrong in the last few years.

“There have been players here who quite simply have not been worth what they were getting paid. Rather than paying a player what he was worth, we’ve had players here on 50 or even 100 per cent more than they should have been.

“Now, we’re trying to get players in who are right for the club, but who also offer us value for money. That’s very important.”

Good husbandry, then, is as important as ambition.

Survival is the aim for the second half of the season, but it will not be pursued at all costs.

Glancing out of a window that overlooks a snow-covered Arena pitch, Singh is forced to ponder yet another footballfree weekend.

Thanks to his clarity and commitment, however, Darlington should not be forced to endure a football-free future.

YOUR CHANCE TO QUIZ THE CLUB

DARLINGTON are holding two ‘Fans’ Footy Nights’ next week to make up for the disappointing spate of postponements.

Fans will be able to quiz players, football management and the board during the evenings, which will take place at The Northern Echo Arena on Wednesday and Thursday (Jan 13 and 14).

A limited number of tickets are available for each night, which includes a Darlington-themed quiz with prizes, while chilli and curry will be dished up for fans and all draught beers and lagers will be reduced to £2 a pint.

Tickets are available, priced £5 each, from The Northern Echo Arena main reception, or on 01325 387000.

However, The Northern Echo have teamed up with the club to offer two sets of tickets as a competition prize.

Simply answer the following question, and either Email your answer to echosport@nne.co.uk or send it on a postcard to Darlington Competition, Sports Desk, The Northern Echo, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF. Remember to include your name and a daytime contact number.

Who is the current Darlington manager?

The closing date is Tuesday, January 12 and normal Northern Echo competition rules apply. Multiple entries are not permitted.