An Imminent Death

Hello again, and if you're reading this, welcome to 2012.

The death I am talking about is not that of a person, but that of a football club. Yes, I'm talking about Darlington Football Club. Today, as I write this, may signal the end of Darlington Football Club. In the last decade, Darlington have been into administration 3 times, so in reality the end was inevitable. But spare a thought for all the Darlington fans out there, who have fought and fought to save their club on numerous occasions, facing the prospect of the club they love ceasing to exist.

To all you football fans out there, imagine that possibility. The club you love and have loved for so many years, will just not exist anymore. A proud 128 year history gone, in a matter of minutes. No replacements. What happens? As a Sunderland fan, I have endured the pain of numerous relegations, the heartache of losing a play-off final on penalties. Any Newcastle fans out there, who have watched their club go from a Champions League team, to then have to spend a season in the Championship after being relegated. Ask them and me how much they hurt. Darlo have also suffered from lost play-off finals and relegations, of course, but all of that pales in insignificance compared to the likely ceasing of existence.

So where did it all go wrong? People always say it's easy to lay the blame on one person, but in this case, it's probably correct. The blame has to lie firmly on the door of George Reynolds. Reynolds expected promotion, and planned for it like it was a foregone conclusion, building a stadium that they realistically had no chance of ever filling. And the club's debts spiralled as a result. 4 chairmans, and 3 administrations later, Darlington find themselves on the verge of liquidation. The position has got so bad, that as a result of unpaid wages, their captain resulted to handing his notice in. Imagine that, in football. Contracted until who knows when, being able to pack your bags and hand your notice in.

Today's game away to Barrow could be the last time ever Darlington Football Club get to play in front of their fans. Their fans have remained loyal to the club throughout the ups and downs, mainly downs, and in retrospect the fact they got to watch their team win at Wembley last year is a memory that they will never forget, and no doubt today's game will also go down in memory if it is indeed their last match. Have a read of this article, see how much it means to the fans.
http://darlofc.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=15733&start=0

I for one, sincerely hope that someone can save them, but for a club with luck like Darlington's, if a miracle were to arrive, it would probably evaporate right in front of their eyes. If a miracle buyer cannot be found, I just hope that they can continue for one more week, just to give the Darlington players chance to play in front of their home fans for one last time. I imagine the town would unite, the stadium would be the closest to selling out the stadium for a competitive match it has ever been. The players and the fans deserve it. Would I be in attendance? I would do my very best to be there, yes.

But for today, it is only my heart that is with Darlington and their fans. I hope all of you feel the same. SAVE DARLINGTON FC.

Thanks for reading,

Thomas.