FORMER chairman George Reynolds – who built the club’s £20m stadium – last night laughed off suggestions that the club’s current financial problems were his fault.

The former safecracker rejected the notion that a 27,500-seater stadium had been too big an arena and had been a burden to the club.

Speaking from his Durham home, Reynolds said: “Let me tell you something, some people said it was too big.

“But how could they have put an Elton John concert on if it had been small?

“They chuck red herrings and say it was too big, but it wasn’t too big.”

Instead, he blamed Darlington Borough Council and The Northern Echo for the club’s problems.

“If they had left me alone and supported me I could have put a concert on there every second month, I could have put on car boot sales on, I could have put computer fairs on,” he said.

“I put £37m into the club and all I got was criticised.”

Reynolds’ time in charge ended in December 2003 when the club went into administration, owing the Inland Revenue more than £400,000.

He was subsequently jailed for tax evasion.

The businessman claimed that the club’s main problems was that it no longer attracted large crowds.

He said: “When I was there I was getting nearly 7,000 and I was third off the bottom of the league. When someone else took over they were getting 2,600.”

Although 5,000 fans turned up at Feethams to welcome Reynolds on his arrival, crowds soon slumped. When he left, they were below 4,000 and now average 2,900.

Asked if he would ever consider returning to the club, Reynolds, who sells perfume bottles to pubs, said: “I’m booming, I’m making mega bucks and I don’t need it.

“Although, there’s a lot of the fans who would welcome me back.”