JUST when it looked as though things were heading in the right direction for Darlington Football Club a blow has been landed which could set it back for years.

Martin Gray’s team were looking forward to the Easter weekend with the aim of continuing the promotion push before it emerged yesterday that an FA rule could render the remaining fixtures meaningless.

Given Quakers recent history you would be forgiven for thinking the club has been cursed. After suffering administrations, relegations, the loss of its historic name and being rendered homeless, the discovery that Darlington will be blocked from the promotion play-offs could lead supporters to shrug their shoulders and think ‘this could only happen to us.’

What makes this latest twist so galling is that is comes when Quakers are on the up. On the pitch Gray’s side look a good bet for a play-off spot and the return this season to its hometown, thanks to a ground share deal at Blackwell Meadows, ended a four-and-a half year exile for the fan-owned club. Even the Darlington FC moniker has been regained.

The Echo supports any bid by the club to persuade the FA to relax the rule which says that teams competing in the play-offs must have at least 500 seats under cover. Quakers have about 280, and the owners have plans to expand the stands, but this will not happen quickly enough to satisfy the FA.

Barring a brief statement posted on the club website, Darlington’s owners stayed quiet. The statement was ambiguous about how or if they intend to challenge the impasse. This seems strange given what is at stake.

Significant questions need answers, such as when did the club first become aware the promotion campaign was at risk, and did the FA make it clear at the start of the season that clubs without the requisite number of covered seats would be barred from promotion?