Darlington FC video,take a look.

[Leekbrookgull]

Can you believe what you see ? If so now wonder they went 'bust' where is Reynolds when you want him. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgRRn571wd4&feature=related

 

[Ninja Elephant]

I've been to a game there. It's weird. Withdean was quiet because it was so open, that place is so quiet because there's a whole stand closed and you have about an entire row to yourself if everyone spread out. It's a weird experience, but they won when I was there!

 

[kevo]

They didn't show the escalators...

 

[SeagullSongs]

Is there a video like this on the Amex? I'd like to see one...

Also that stadium is ridiculous, at least we were realistic (or cautious) with our capacity.

 

[terryberry1]

Tin pot club with a premier league stadium. What a waste of money

 

[StevenH]

"The stadium holds 27,500 people" Bleeding hell...

 

[bn1&bn3 Albion]

"The stadium holds 27,500 people" Bleeding hell...

Holds 27,500 seats, 24,500 of which are empty..

 

[ferring seagull]

Never mind the stadium, how fortunate we are to have such a delightful chairman who is unassuming and has never ever, in my experience, been on an ego trip.

Hail TB.

 

[severnside gull]

perhaps palace could re-locate - decent ground and they wouldn't have to buy any new seats?

 

[Biscuit]

Sounds like a 'build it and they will come' job. Only they didn't...!

 

[Digweed's Testicle]

The stadium was built by Darlington's equivalent of our Bill Archer. He wanted to build a stadium but, more importantly, he wanted to also build retail on adjacent land. The council refused him permission but he went ahead with the stadium thinking they'd change their minds. They didn't and he took the club into administration just months after it was openend. Back handers were rumoured and when you read his wikipedia notes below you can see why.
The stadium has driven Darlo into administration three times, with the costs of running it far outweighing the revenue from their fanbase. The club were stuck with it though with a succession of chairmen coming into the club hoping to persuade the council to let them build retail around it, with refusal always following.

As of January 2012, with the club officially wound up by administrators and facing extinction, fans bought the club (see video). Demotion from the Conference into the lower Northern Leagues has seen them now move out of the Northern Echo Arena and they will be playing the 2012/13 season at Bishop Auckland's ground which is akin to Lewe's ground. The fans are hoping to return to Darlington town in a much more realistic, smaller, more affordable ground in the future but are curently trying to raise funds just to survive. The Daily Mail summed the fans plight up well
Darlington liquidated then revived with cash lifeline | Mail Online

What is to happen to their white elephant of a ground is unknown as of yet.


WIKIPEDIA - GEORGE REYNOLDS
Reynolds was brought up in the slums of Sunderland and in his early life became involved in crime. His first conviction was for stealing cigarettes, which he traded for food for his family. Another conviction in the 1960s saw him sent to jail for six months smuggling watches. In 1964 he was jailed for four years for safe-cracking, handling explosives, burglary and theft. He was jailed in 1970 for burglary and again in 1976 for theft.
In jail a priest persuaded him to reform and Reynolds started to study. On his release he established a series of businesses. These included a £25m kitchen surface factory based in Shildon. He amassed a £260 million fortune, and was ranked 112 in the Sunday Times rich list in 2000. He built the Witton Hall mansion on the grounds of a cottage in the village. Some extravagant purchases included a fleet of cars, a house next door to the Spice Girls in London, a yacht, a jet, a helicopter, a swimming pool, and a Spanish villa.


Reynolds became the chairman of Darlington Football Club in 1999 and built the team a new stadium costing £20 million, which he named after himself. Reynolds was originally very popular with fans but he then took the club into administration and left the club in January 2004, just months after the new 25,000-seat stadium (one of the largest stadiums outside the Premier League) was opened. The stadium was renamed shortly afterwards. Darlington goalkeeper David Preece said shortly after he was transferred to Aberdeen F.C., the day before his debut against Celtic F.C., Reynolds called him threatening to cancel the transfer unless Preece signed a waiver of his £45,000 signing-on fee.

He famously declared his ambition to take Darlington into the Premier League, and when he took the club over they had been in the Football League's basement division since 1992. The new stadium did nothing to improve their on-field fortunes, and they did not move out of the basement division of the Football League until 2010 - when they were relegated to the Conference, then relegated again to the Conference North and are set be relegated again to the Evo-Stick League Premier Divison North.


He was arrested on suspicion of money laundering in June 2004 after being stopped with £500,000 of cash in the boot of his car (just months after taking Darlo into administration). He later pleaded guilty to charges of tax evasion and was sentenced to three years imprisonment in October 2005. Other charges which he denied, including money laundering, were left on file. Reynolds was released on 6 December 2006 but was electronically tagged and subject to a curfew. He was returned to prison for 2 weeks in April 2007 breaching the terms of his curfew.He currently operates a vending machine company, and is involved in retail.