BBC report on the arena

[Darlo_Dan]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25505385

Video report on the BBC website about Mowden RFC playing at the arena. Also a bit about our move to Bishop Auckland

[davidcurrieclass]

I'm sure many wont agree but I do actually miss the place, at least it was our home. Even miss that long walk up Neasham road. Funny thing is nowadays I miss Feethams like hell but when we were at the Arena I didn't think about Feethams as much

[knoxy5000]

False reporting in the first part. We built that stadium when crowds were average of at least 5 - 6k a season and for the first 3 seasons in there, thats what we had. I remember the last season two seasons in feethams it being a capacity crowd a fair few times and im sure that held around 8k. We were 4 - 5 million in debt before GR even came along!! and like now we didnt own our ground as feethams was leased from the cricket club

[joejaques]

One plus mark for the beeb, at least they didn't call us 1883.

[bga]

Same empty souless stadium with even less fans than we had when we were there but.......................the rugby boys have turned it into a home fortress. I think they have only lost a couple of league games in the 10 months they have been there. Wonder why that is? Playing in an empty stadium must be the same for rugby as it is for football! Maybe some fans out there should just accept we had crap players over a number of years and forgive the ARENA!

[lo36789]

Same empty souless stadium with even less fans than we had when we were there but.......................the rugby boys have turned it into a home fortress. I think they have only lost a couple of league games in the 10 months they have been there. Wonder why that is? Playing in an empty stadium must be the same for rugby as it is for football! Maybe some fans out there should just accept we had crap players over a number of years and forgive the ARENA!

What are you on about? I don't think anyone blamed performance on the pitch on the thing? You state the reason people disliked it in the first sentence.

I must admit though I agree with this

I'm sure many wont agree but I do actually miss the place, at least it was our home.

I do actually miss it, for all it was built on George's dodgy promises it is still a cracking facility.

Looking forward though we can make Blackwell Meadows our home. We can build it up step at a time and it will feel like a proper ground...eventually.

[Bogratsteve]

The rugby players have grown up playing in front of small crowds, they are most likely enjoying the flat & well drained surface along with no prevailing winds to push kicks wide.

I would also imagine to the opposition it is an intimidating place to play at

[love it!]

I went to watch a match a couple month's after they moved into the stadium and there was a great atmosphere. Something like 1100 fans when I was there with families everywhere. People stood up watching the match down at the front with beer in hand and an awful lot of young kids in rugby tops. At half time they had 2 separate u10 (I guess that age group) matches. I genuinely enjoyed the match and the atmosphere was great.

They have a really good set up there. Even had a BMW 1 Series parked up on the opposite side of the pitch on the half way line from BMW Stratone who sponsor them.

[Hawkeye]

Mowden's chairman is right to draw our attention to the escalators, although I can't believe he doesn't say anything about the state-of-the-art urinal facilities.

[bga]

lo36789 I think a number of "fans" did blame performances on the pitch on the stadium saying it daunted our players? It is frustrating that the as far as I can make out all (well most of) the rugby club's off the field activities could have been organised by the football club whilst we were there. I accept some of the restrictions have been lifted to enable them to do more but I am talking about the fundamentals like catering before and after matches, junior teams both male and female, hiring out the facilities etc. Oh well that is all history now I suppose!

[m62exile]

With £5million in the bank and no wage bill to speak of I reckon even Raj Singh could have made it work.

Apples and oranges that comparison.

[quaker4life]

With £5million in the bank and no wage bill to speak of I reckon even Raj Singh could have made it work.

Apples and oranges that comparison.

This ^

I went back in November to see Mowden play, I have to say it was an odd feeling being back in there it was like visiting for the first time all over again it felt like DFC had never even been there.

It is still just as empty, cold and cavernous as it was when we were there but I don't think the Mowden players, who I presume were used to regularly entertaining a couple of hundred people at their old ground pay any mind the vast ammount of empty seats.

When the football was there, particularly in the last 3 years that emptiness was all to apparent, it was a very demoralising experience watching Darlo play there.

Without going over old arguments I honestly could not imagine Darlo ever playing there again.

[ted_do]

With £5million in the bank and no wage bill to speak of I reckon even Raj Singh could have made it work.

Apples and oranges that comparison.

Having seen this program, listened to Radio Tees interviews and personally watching Rugby at the arena, I have to agree that Mowden are loving playing the big man in the big stadium, but as you say that’s easy whilst you have 5 million in the bank. As the cash diminishes you will hear the same old clichés coming back out about the 10k a month gas bill.
Feethams was Ideal for a club in a town the size of Darlington and once we got the new east stand it was perfect, the arena with only DFC as a owner was far to large, conversely Blackwell meadows with tin sheds and portacabins is far to small.

Once the arena was build and Georges bubble had burst then the stadium should have been turned into a multi-sports arena sheared by DFC, DMPRFC, 3g pitches in the carpark, Arts centre, Kids football and Rugby all using the arena facilities seven days a week. This approach will work and eventually once Mowdens money runs out this will be the only way for arena to survive, the arena as a community facility will inspire future generations into sport and maybe to become DFC fans which is something that is already dwindling when you look at the age profile round HP. Times have changed and all but the diehard women and Kids just will not stand out in the cold and rain to watch footy anymore. The fear I have is DFC will be cosy at Blackwell in a ground that will need constant improvements but still never be or look quite good enough for the 21 century and the arena will be sold, knocked down and sold off for scrap, meaning Darlington’s future generation will have nothing but grim northern uninspiring charity shop lifestyle and pissing in portacabin football, really attractive in the 21st century, will the last person leaving Darlo please turn off the lights .

[theoriginalfatcat]

Good post Ted.

Maybe If the Council had had some money at the time they could have taken on The Arena and much of what you describe at the start of your second paragraph might have happened. Which does seem a logical and sensible outcome.

The Arena is a good facility and what's happening now doesn't really hold water as the Rugby club appear to be living off their savings. It'll be interesting to see what's happening in a couple of years time.

[ted_do]

Good post Ted.

Maybe If the Council had had some money at the time they could have taken on The Arena and much of what you describe at the start of your second paragraph might have happened. Which does seem a logical and sensible outcome.

The Arena is a good facility and what's happening now doesn't really hold water as the Rugby club appear to be living off their savings. It'll be interesting to see what's happening in a couple of years time.

Hopefully “park” see sense before their money runs out, and also hopefully by then DFC are playing in the conference at a modestly developed Blackwell meadows which has served us well getting the club back into the town but is now sold out each week. At this point then a community Arena concept can start to become a reality, making a massive stadium work in a town the size Darlo.

The problem I see is Darlington`s history points to the arena sold off for a scrap value of 500k and DFC needing to raise 1 million to make Blackwell fit for conference football, and while the football fans dig deep again the rest of the town look on in astonishment as a blind man on a galloping horse can see what needs to be done.

[quaker4life]

With £5million in the bank and no wage bill to speak of I reckon even Raj Singh could have made it work.

Apples and oranges that comparison.

The fear I have is DFC will be cosy at Blackwell in a ground that will need constant improvements but still never be or look quite good enough for the 21 century and the arena will be sold, knocked down and sold off for scrap, meaning Darlington’s future generation will have nothing but grim northern uninspiring charity shop lifestyle and pissing in portacabin football, really attractive in the 21st century.

May I ask why the century is relevant?

[BlackandwhiteBOB]

Just to play devils advocate, how do DMPRFC appear to be living off their savings?

The sad thing is they have done more financially and commercially with the arena in the few moths they have had it than we ever did. And that's just a fact. The arena costs circa 9k a month to run, they have two gyms in there, office space let out and have just signed up to allow the executive boxes to be used as private healthcare suites during the week. Then add in the carvery and the boot sales etc plus the conferencing they are doing ok.

Their biggest problem and the place that they are more likely to trip up is the amount of money they are spending on the rugby playing side. More than what the stadium costs put it that way!

I hope it continues to work for them and flourishes.

[Stan_Darlo]

Just to play devils advocate, how do DMPRFC appear to be living off their savings?

The sad thing is they have done more financially and commercially with the arena in the few moths they have had it than we ever did. And that's just a fact. The arena costs circa 9k a month to run, they have two gyms in there, office space let out and have just signed up to allow the executive boxes to be used as private healthcare suites during the week. Then add in the carvery and the boot sales etc plus the conferencing they are doing ok.

Their biggest problem and the place that they are more likely to trip up is the amount of money they are spending on the rugby playing side. More than what the stadium costs put it that way!

I hope it continues to work for them and flourishes.

Don't forget gate receipts; they're getting over 1000 in for a lot of games and at £7 a head for an adult (I think), they'll be making a decent wedge from that. From the sounds of things they are making a very good fist of it and seem to have a much better business model in place than we ever had, and I for one am delighted for them. It's fantastic for the town and with Durham cc and Stuart Hall's recent successes, sport in the area appears to be thriving which as a community club we should be delighted about.

[knoxy5000]

With £5million in the bank and no wage bill to speak of I reckon even Raj Singh could have made it work.

Apples and oranges that comparison.

Feethams was Ideal for a club in a town the size of Darlington and once we got the new east stand it was perfect, the arena with only DFC as a owner was far to large,

Rose tinted glasses ? It was that East stand that ruined the club in the first place when Mr Peden promised the world and didn't deliver! pushing us 4 - 5 mill in the red and that's when George first came to our rescue. Feethams was a dive, parking was horrid and if you can recall it spent most the season waterlogged. Lack of facilities.

If the arena had worked and we had done what the others around us at the time had managed most of you would be singing from a totally different hymn sheet. Just look at the other clubs that have pulled it off that we used to play against on a regular basis, Fulham, Wigan, Swansea, Cardiff, Hull, Doncaster, Brighton & Hove Albion

We gambled and it didn't work out, stop blaming the arena, as from what i remember we were bust before we even moved there. It just gave us a chance to do what those above named clubs done, unfortunately it hasn't worked out. I'm glad we had our day at Wembley as its made it all bitter sweet

[Lawman3]

The only way the Arena could have worked was if it had been a third of the size. It was a huge white elephant from the moment it was built, and MPRFC, whilst making a decent fist of it now, will come to regret buying it in the long term.

[knoxy5000]

The only way the Arena could have worked was if it had been a third of the size. It was a huge white elephant from the moment it was built, and MPRFC, whilst making a decent fist of it now, will come to regret buying it in the long term.

So are really saying that if it was only 7k in size that it would've all been a bed of roses ? if so and then we had progressed up the leagues (as was planned and promised to us by several chairman and the first george wasn't the first, Mr Mike Peden was) then surely 7k wouldn't be big enough for the championship or premier league?

[m62exile]

For the record, I think DMP could well make it work. With some cash in the bank they have time to build the infrastructure and grow the supporting businesses. We never had that time or cash behind us. We also had a wage bill of c.£1m pa for players alone.

Whilst I maintain the comparison isn't appropriate, they are a good club with a load of teams of all ages who may well make it work for them, I hope they do.

[Lawman3]

The only way the Arena could have worked was if it had been a third of the size. It was a huge white elephant from the moment it was built, and MPRFC, whilst making a decent fist of it now, will come to regret buying it in the long term.

So are really saying that if it was only 7k in size that it would've all been a bed of roses ? if so and then we had progressed up the leagues (as was planned and promised to us by several chairman and the first george wasn't the first, Mr Mike Peden was) then surely 7k wouldn't be big enough for the championship or premier league?

A 7 or 8,000 capacity stadium would have been perfectly adequate for our needs, and manageable too. As for the promise of higher league football, we heard a lot of promises which never came to fruition. It was all pie in the sky, so no use worrying about that until it happens.
We would struggle to fill a 7,000 stadium anyway - how many times have our attendances reached that figure, even in promotion seasons?

[Quakers1883]

Even if it was eventually to host Championship games or higher, a more sensible approach would of been to expand the capacity as required, not to start with a Premier League sized ground.
As we all know it was the result of one mans over inflated ego and little more, 25K stadium for a town with only 100k inhabitants

I genuinely wish Mowden all the best but I would be pleased to see the Arena one day razed to the ground.

[ted_do]

Just to play devils advocate, how do DMPRFC appear to be living off their savings?

The sad thing is they have done more financially and commercially with the arena in the few moths they have had it than we ever did. And that's just a fact. The arena costs circa 9k a month to run, they have two gyms in there, office space let out and have just signed up to allow the executive boxes to be used as private healthcare suites during the week. Then add in the carvery and the boot sales etc plus the conferencing they are doing ok.

Their biggest problem and the place that they are more likely to trip up is the amount of money they are spending on the rugby playing side. More than what the stadium costs put it that way!

I hope it continues to work for them and flourishes.

I dont know for sure but indications of DMPRFC spending beyond there means are they are paying players, they have club cars, recently chartered a plane for an away match, all from 500fans gate receipts, building extra pitches and floodlight
Thats not to say that ALL their 5 million windfall will be wasted or spent quickly,
Mowden do look to be making the arena pay and good luck to them, as unlike some the arena is built and I do want to see it thrive as that is good for the town (if not the football club).

Other points: Feethams was Ideal and looking back going bust in 1998 before George would have been the best thing to have happened, as at that time we could not have lost Feethams and would now not be homeless.

also the relevance of 21 century is times have changed most people don't want to stand out in the rain and women don`t do pissing in potacabins, you either change with the times or die off into a niche for real ale swilling and food banks.

[Lawman3]

What's wrong with real ale swilling?

[BlackandwhiteBOB]

Just to play devils advocate, how do DMPRFC appear to be living off their savings?

The sad thing is they have done more financially and commercially with the arena in the few moths they have had it than we ever did. And that's just a fact. The arena costs circa 9k a month to run, they have two gyms in there, office space let out and have just signed up to allow the executive boxes to be used as private healthcare suites during the week. Then add in the carvery and the boot sales etc plus the conferencing they are doing ok.

Their biggest problem and the place that they are more likely to trip up is the amount of money they are spending on the rugby playing side. More than what the stadium costs put it that way!

I hope it continues to work for them and flourishes.

I dont know for sure but indications of DMPRFC spending beyond there means are they are paying players, they have club cars, recently chartered a plane for an away match, all from 500fans gate receipts, building extra pitches and floodlight
Thats not to say that ALL their 5 million windfall will be wasted or spent quickly,
Mowden do look to be making the arena pay and good luck to them, as unlike some the arena is built and I do want to see it thrive as that is good for the town (if not the football club).

Other points: Feethams was Ideal and looking back going bust in 1998 before George would have been the best thing to have happened, as at that time we could not have lost Feethams and would now not be homeless.

also the relevance of 21 century is times have changed most people don't want to stand out in the rain and women don`t do pissing in potacabins, you either change with the times or die off into a niche for real ale swilling and food banks.

They have paid players for years though, it's not something that has started recently. There are two people with club cars supplied free of charge by SG Petch as part of a sponsorship deal. Which away match was a plane chartered for? Haven't heard that one, it's strictly buses usually. In fact the more I think of it that's unlikely to be true, it's only a northern based league, the furthest South they go is the midlands. The likes of Blaydon and Tynedale will often fly to the games in Cornwall and the south west so nothing new again.

[love it!]

A friend I have plays for Mowden and gets paid £50 if he plays. Now not to hard to work out with an attendance often around 600-800 the playing budget will be covered easily by gate receipts.

Now looking ahead it looks very likely they can be promoted this season and have a very good squad already. Its looking like a really good move for Mowden and I hope it continues.

These deluded people who think the arena killed our club are just idiots. Over ambitious chairman paying stupid wages hoping in the future to make money from selling the land was the problem.

[knoxy5000]

These deluded people who think the arena killed our club are just idiots. Over ambitious chairman paying stupid wages hoping in the future to make money from selling the land was the problem.

I concur!!!

[divas]

These deluded people who think the arena killed our club are just idiots. Over ambitious chairman paying stupid wages hoping in the future to make money from selling the land was the problem.

I concur!!!

How do you two feel having "idiots" running our club currently then?