Crisis-hit Quakers to be taken over by fans

Darlington Football Club Rescue Group (DFCRG) was yesterday given the go-ahead to launch a community interest company to run the club on a not-for-profit basis.

During another dramatic day in the club’s history, members stepped forward after potential buyer Paul Wildes walked away following a breakdown in talks with former chairman Raj Singh.

However, crucially DFCRG says it has the backing of Mr Singh, who is the club’s main creditor after investing about £3m.

The plans for a community run club were revealed last night at a hastily arranged press conference at the Blackwell Grange Hotel, Darlington.

Group spokesman Shaun Campbell said: “It’s been very much a rollercoaster without an end, but we are now stopping the ride.

“Gone are the white knights, gone are the black knights and the saviours. It’s now down to the people of Darlington to run the club.”

Last night, caretaker manager Craig Liddle described the announcement as “a fantastic piece of news”. Speaking at an awards ceremony for the Darlington Sports Winners’ Scheme, he said: “I think this is the best way forward, for it to be run by community with some kind of financial backing.”

Darlington MP Jenny Chapman, who has been at the centre of negotiations to save the club, also welcomed the announcement.

She said: “This is a fantastic chance for Darlington. We have got to be upbeat. We have got to make this work – and build the dream.”

Members of the rescue group received approval for the community interest company after talks with administrator Harvey Madden.

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“We now have a couple of weeks to get together and flesh out the bones and we are very confident we can do that,” said Mr Campbell.

It is understood discussions had already taken place with Supporters Direct, an independent body that helps communities run their own sports club.

It is likely the rescue group will now be dissolved and a new community interest company launched, potentially called Darlington 2012.

Doug Embleton, from the rescue group, said: “What we need to do now is put the foundations in place for the legal framework of the community club.

“We are eternally indebted to (administrator) Harvey Madden, who did not want to see this club fold. We are also eternally indebted to Raj Singh for his support.”

Members of the group stressed last night that the fundraising must continue if their plan was to be a success.

More than £45,000 has already been raised by fans.

However, Mr Campbell said: “Fundraising is the key now. We need the community to show the level of support that it already has done in recent weeks.

“We need people to show their support for the town’s heritage, in this case it’s football club.”

It has previously been suggested anyone taking over the club would need £500,000 to ensure its survival until at least the end of the season.

However, the rescue group said last night that no fundraising target had yet been set, and it would depend on how much had been raised already and received by the club during the two recent home games.

It is thought local businesses will be asked to contribute, with companies potentially taking a stake in the community interest company.

The rescue group stepped in hours after Mr Wildes announced he was no longer interested in buying the club.

Breaking the news to The Northern Echo, the Sheffield entrepreneur said: “I am absolutely gutted. It is one of the worst days I have had in business and I’m not in a good place. I am disappointed beyond belief.

“I was looking forward to running the club and having years of success after the years of heartache and worry, and, after the fantastic match on Saturday, I was looking forward to going to the game at Mansfield at the weekend.

“But I didn’t think it was fair to protract negotiations and keep people hanging on tenterhooks.

“I hope the supporters’ group can manage to achieve something with the community club with Raj, and I have said that if I can help them in any way, I am prepared to do that.”

Mr Wildes was to put £300,000 in to the club with the supporters putting in £200,000, but he was unable to reach a deal with Mr Singh, who loaned the club about £2m. Mr Wildes wanted him to waive that loan, but Mr Singh was insisting on taking a share of any future development on the site.

This led Mr Wildes to look at buying the club without reaching an agreement with Mr Singh, but the league would have penalised the Quakers by relegating them a division.

Mr Wildes said that would mean a large loss of revenue and would have knocked his business plans backward.

“I am not prepared to take a significant amount of money from the supporters without any guarantees it might work,” he said.

Minutes after Mr Wildes’ confirmed his departure from negotiations, a statement was released by Mr Madden’s Yarm-based accountancy firm which confirmed the one potential buyer had withdrawn their interest.

The administrators said they were now exploring other options “as a matter of urgency”, adding: “Two further parties have shown interest and if the club is to survive he (Mr Madden) quickly needs to find a willing purchaser.”

Mr Wildes’ exit was referred to in a statement from Darlington Arena Limited, the company set up by stadium owners Philip Scott and Graham Sizer.

It said: “This is very sad news.

“We have tried our utmost to assist those endeavouring to secure the future of the football club. A peppercorn rent was agreed with the previous owner and we had expressed to Mr Wildes our willingness to extend this for a further period.

“The Darlington Rescue Group and the fans should be commended for their fantastic efforts over the past few weeks.”

Mr Singh again refused to comment on the latest developments.