There are some problems though at the club.Firstly as an outsider I detected a lot of antagonism to their previous owner George Reynolds. Secondly the club in footballing terms have been struggling for a good few years and even at this new venue have struggled to get above 4,000.
I thoroughly enjoyed the game that I saw here and will be back. These type of grounds are for me very difficult to photograph as maybe 2 or 3 photos would suffice. Also being a sunny day this made taking the photos logistically difficult so indeed I do need to return on a horrid rainy day perhaps.
The stands all join together to form one large rounded stand but even with such a small crowd the atmosphere was not too bad. Finally, possibly the best selection of pies you will find to eat at a football ground on a par with Bristol Rovers and their excellent selection of pasties. I might be wrong but I think that George Reynolds owns the companies that makes the pies.
As of the end of 2003-4 season things may be looking brighter. The club has come out of administration and has been sold to the Sterling Consortium for only £2.5 million. The debate rumbles on as to whether this is the best deal for everyone as many creditors will not recieve any money at all. However the club remians in existence and that is what matters to the fans. One of the first acts of the new owners was to take down from the stand the letters " George Reynolds Arena". These apparently cost £63,000 to put up. There are also signs that the 1200 strong Darlington Supporters Trust will be invited to take an active role and maybe even get a seat on the board.
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