TEESSIDE businessman Raj Singh has today released a statement on his proposed investment in Darlington, which he withdrew last night.

In his statement he also seeks to clarify what happened five years ago, when the club went into administration when he was Quakers' chairman.

We reproduce his statement here in full:

“I’ve always kept an eye on Darlington’s results and have loved seeing their recent successes. Having heard about the club’s predicament in being unable to take part in the promotion play-offs due to the stadium’s limitations, I wanted to help the club out.

“Believe it or not, as a local football fan and due to my previous involvement in the club, I’ve always retained a soft spot for Darlington. However, having seen the adverse reaction to the idea that I might become involved in the club once more, I’ve reluctantly decided to withdraw the offer I’d made to invest in the club.

“I’ve found it incredibly upsetting that so-called fans have judged and abused me despite not having the slightest idea of the real truth behind my previous involvement with the club.

“Despite what some people incorrectly believing that I tried to kill off the club, nothing could be further from the truth.

“The facts are that not one of these people would have done anything differently had they been in my position. When all that you have worked for over a 30 year period is a risk as a result of the most serious economic downturn in many generations whilst your personal life is suffering, that’s when you decide to call it a day.

“I am sick and tired of hearing stories about how I refused to give up my football share, with far-fetched rumours suggesting that was the reason why Darlington plummeted four leagues in one fell swoop.

“So I want to set the record straight. At the time, there were many different groups and people involved in talks about the club’s future. Some of them had hidden agenda – including Paul Wildes, who later tried to take over the club.

“During a series of meetings with different parties where various options were explored, one meeting was held with the club’s then chairman Dennis Pinneger, where it was proposed that I, as the club’s main creditor, would receive any future payments relating to Dan Burn’s transfer to Fulham (which I had worked hard for six months to negotiate). In turn, the proposal was that I would write off every penny the £2.5m-£3m I’d put into the club.

“In this meeting, Dennis specifically asked me that if this was agreed would I be prepared to hand over the football share, to which I replied ‘Yes, because it would be of no use to me.

“That same evening on BBC Tees, more of the club’s fans criticised me, insinuating that I was the one stopping things from moving forwards. Among these was the club’s then photographer and another who I presumed to be representing one of the groups that were trying to take control of the football club.

“This second individual specifically said words to the effect of ‘I don’t even think we need the football share from Mr Singh if we were prepared to start the next season a league below. It was clearly his belief that the club would just start again one league below where they then were. Clearly this was a poor call, as the FA later insisted they started again four leagues below where they had been.

“At no point was I asked for the football share after that day, so the suggestion that I kept hold of the share because I wanted the club to die is utter rubbish.

“I can compare the whole episode to paying for people to go on an all-expenses-paid trip. When the money runs out and you give them the bad news that you can’t pay for any more of the trip, they fall out with you, become insulting but then ask you to pay for their taxi home.

“That’s the position I was in – and it’s happening again right now. People are even doubting Martin Gray’s intentions after all he has done in taking the fans on a great adventure.

“On a more positive note, I would like to thank Martin Gray, director John Tempest and supporters group chairman Wayne Raper for sitting down with me to try to find a way of securing the club’s future.

“Any reasonable or logical person could see a long time ago that the club was going to come to a crossroads. It was clear that it was difficult to see a way forwards for the club without outside investment into improving the ground and the playing staff.

“The bottom line is that I can’t change what happened five years ago when I set off with a dream and vision for Darlington Football Club. For various reasons, things didn’t turn out the way any of us wanted, and for that I remain truly sorry for myself, the fans and the club.

“However, I’m not going to keep putting myself in the firing line in a way that disrupts my business and personal life once again.”