Darlington came close to being the first Football League club to cease playing during the recession this weekend. The future of the club is still far from secure and it has been handed what has been described as ‘one last roll of the dice’. Former chairman George Houghton, a controversial figure with fans, has given the club an extra £150,000 which will see it through until the end of the season. However, Mr Houghton has warned that this is the last time he will help the club out and a new buyer or consortium needs to be found if the Quakers are to survive beyond May.
Darlington came close to being the first Football League club to cease playing during the recession this weekend. The future of the club is still far from secure and it has been handed what has been described as ‘one last roll of the dice’. Former chairman George Houghton, a controversial figure with fans, has given the club an extra £150,000 which will see it through until the end of the season. However, Mr Houghton has warned that this is the last time he will help the club out and a new buyer or consortium needs to be found if the Quakers are to survive beyond May. The club has been in administration for over a month and last week administrators appealed to Mr Houghton for help after it became clear there was not enough cash for the club to survive after this weekend. Mr Houghton is prepared to work with other investors and run the club through a consortium. Mr Houghton has reiterated his view that if the club is to be a viable prospect it needs to be able to buy land adjoining the stadium from Darlinton Borough Council and thus be able to build a hotel and business park.
Mr Houghton still owns the Northern Echo Darlington Arena which is run as a separate business. He has said that any buyer would be able to rent the arena for free until it is in a more secure financial situation. He still thinks that a bid for Championship status is a realistic aim, but it could be argued that building an over large stadium has contributed to the club’s problems rather than providing a way out of them. It is believed that there are between four and six prospective bidders for the club, although whether any of these turn into firm offers remains to be seen. Anyone who buys into it has to face up to the reality of a loss of between £1.5m and £2m a year. If a buyer can’t be found by early May, it is doubtful whether the club can survive.