Club accounts

Open now for discussion of all things Darlo!

Moderators: mikkyx, uncovered

User avatar
TinShedDarloFan
Posts: 2497
Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:43 am
Team Supported: Darlington
Location: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by TinShedDarloFan » Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:56 pm

The problem with a 4G pitch is where will the income that it brings go to?, There is little point in the football club even considering looking to fund anything if there was no income streams to the football club from it. I'd go along with others on here that we should look expand the seated stand now and perhaps something behind the goal at the open end, may take some time to achieve but the sooner we start planning and raising funds the sooner we will accomplish it

real_darlo_85
Posts: 1156
Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:06 pm
Team Supported: Darlington
Location: Newton Aycliffe

Re: Club accounts

Post by real_darlo_85 » Thu Jan 26, 2017 6:43 pm

I echo that there are some very valid points raised in this thread about how the club should try to progress financially off the field to continue the progress on it.

I think in my opinion that we have now reached a level we could easily maintain with current fan base and sponsorship/investment. With this maybe we are going to have to be patient about gaining promotion to the Conference National as what others have mentioned making the next step has to be financially calculated for it to be worth it in the long run without putting the club at any risk.

An example of a calculated promotion was Bromley (Conf South to National). A friend I know who was quite close to their board said to me back in 2010 that their chairman saw it as financial suicide if they gained promotion back then. Funnily enough they would start every season well and drop off after Christmas up until a season or so ago when they obviously thought the time was right to gain promotion and now they are in the Conf National.

Without significant investment or a big increase in attendances I can't see it being beneficial for us to gain promotion with our current financial position. I know that maybe the younger (we want it now generation) will not see it this way, maybe Martin Gray won't agree with this view as will some die hard fans. But I feel caution has to be urged we are not Fleetwood or AFC Flyde where money has been no object in propelling them up the non league pyramid, like I've said maybe biding our time and a bit of patience will be needed to make the next leap.
"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

darlodog
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat Dec 14, 2013 10:36 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by darlodog » Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:27 pm

Lots of wish list things here.

Let's just remember we are back in Darlington, crowds are up and hospitality apparently being used well. Let's build on the basics and not get beyond us and approach things on a proper fiscal manner. Without a rich benefactor we have to be realistic and remember that the Directors who are running the club all have full time jobs.

shawry
Posts: 2600
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:55 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by shawry » Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:32 pm

My question is how do you bide your time?
You can't throw games, and if you have a squad Incapable of promotion you are also likely to get dragged into a relegation fight or be unable to attract new fans

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

lo36789
Posts: 10930
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:58 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by lo36789 » Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:42 pm

shawry wrote:My question is how do you bide your time?
You can't throw games, and if you have a squad Incapable of promotion you are also likely to get dragged into a relegation fight or be unable to attract new fans
If you are not good enough to get promoted you will be in a relegation fight?

Say what?

User avatar
theoriginalfatcat
Posts: 6718
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:40 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by theoriginalfatcat » Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:50 pm

shawry wrote:My question is how do you bide your time?
You can't throw games, and if you have a squad Incapable of promotion you are also likely to get dragged into a relegation fight or be unable to attract new fans

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

Great post.

The players, the management, and most of the fans are going all out for promotion - it's how things work and daft to suggest anything else.

If we make the play offs (possible) and win (possible) then great. Being back in the Conference - after all we've been through, what a nice problem to have.
Profile pic ↗️
Feethams the Panda. 28 Jan 2012.
Now extinct!

banktopp
Posts: 861
Joined: Fri Jan 25, 2013 8:59 pm
Team Supported: Darlington
Location: Hereford

Re: Club accounts

Post by banktopp » Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:58 pm

real_darlo_85 wrote:I echo that there are some very valid points raised in this thread about how the club should try to progress financially off the field to continue the progress on it.

I think in my opinion that we have now reached a level we could easily maintain with current fan base and sponsorship/investment. With this maybe we are going to have to be patient about gaining promotion to the Conference National as what others have mentioned making the next step has to be financially calculated for it to be worth it in the long run without putting the club at any risk.

An example of a calculated promotion was Bromley (Conf South to National). A friend I know who was quite close to their board said to me back in 2010 that their chairman saw it as financial suicide if they gained promotion back then. Funnily enough they would start every season well and drop off after Christmas up until a season or so ago when they obviously thought the time was right to gain promotion and now they are in the Conf National.

Without significant investment or a big increase in attendances I can't see it being beneficial for us to gain promotion with our current financial position. I know that maybe the younger (we want it now generation) will not see it this way, maybe Martin Gray won't agree with this view as will some die hard fans. But I feel caution has to be urged we are not Fleetwood or AFC Flyde where money has been no object in propelling them up the non league pyramid, like I've said maybe biding our time and a bit of patience will be needed to make the next leap.
Agree totally with the above sentiments.
The town will get the football club it deserves. Volunteers, bucket collections, donations, 5 year season tickets etc, have got us this far, fantastic achievement. But the reality is that even at this level more clubs are going full time. To compete, like it or not we are going to have to become full time. To achieve that we need bigger attendances and a lot more corporate sponsorship. If that is not forthcoming then the town will get a part time club destined to perhaps yo-yo between National North and the National league.
First priority though has to be improvements to Blackwell Meadow up to National league requirements. As real darlo says patience.

princes town
Posts: 4127
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:14 pm
Team Supported: Darlington/Blackburn

Re: Club accounts

Post by princes town » Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:46 pm

banktopp wrote:
real_darlo_85 wrote:I echo that there are some very valid points raised in this thread about how the club should try to progress financially off the field to continue the progress on it.

I think in my opinion that we have now reached a level we could easily maintain with current fan base and sponsorship/investment. With this maybe we are going to have to be patient about gaining promotion to the Conference National as what others have mentioned making the next step has to be financially calculated for it to be worth it in the long run without putting the club at any risk.

An example of a calculated promotion was Bromley (Conf South to National). A friend I know who was quite close to their board said to me back in 2010 that their chairman saw it as financial suicide if they gained promotion back then. Funnily enough they would start every season well and drop off after Christmas up until a season or so ago when they obviously thought the time was right to gain promotion and now they are in the Conf National.

Without significant investment or a big increase in attendances I can't see it being beneficial for us to gain promotion with our current financial position. I know that maybe the younger (we want it now generation) will not see it this way, maybe Martin Gray won't agree with this view as will some die hard fans. But I feel caution has to be urged we are not Fleetwood or AFC Flyde where money has been no object in propelling them up the non league pyramid, like I've said maybe biding our time and a bit of patience will be needed to make the next leap.
Agree totally with the above sentiments.
The town will get the football club it deserves. Volunteers, bucket collections, donations, 5 year season tickets etc, have got us this far, fantastic achievement. But the reality is that even at this level more clubs are going full time. To compete, like it or not we are going to have to become full time. To achieve that we need bigger attendances and a lot more corporate sponsorship. If that is not forthcoming then the town will get a part time club destined to perhaps yo-yo between National North and the National league.
First priority though has to be improvements to Blackwell Meadow up to National league requirements. As real darlo says patience.
I also think promotion would be bordering on financial suicide. I can't see any scope for the players budget being increased given the ground needs. There is nothing wrong in taking a reality check as Bromley did.

shawry
Posts: 2600
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:55 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by shawry » Fri Jan 27, 2017 5:47 pm

princes town wrote:
banktopp wrote:
real_darlo_85 wrote:I echo that there are some very valid points raised in this thread about how the club should try to progress financially off the field to continue the progress on it.

I think in my opinion that we have now reached a level we could easily maintain with current fan base and sponsorship/investment. With this maybe we are going to have to be patient about gaining promotion to the Conference National as what others have mentioned making the next step has to be financially calculated for it to be worth it in the long run without putting the club at any risk.

An example of a calculated promotion was Bromley (Conf South to National). A friend I know who was quite close to their board said to me back in 2010 that their chairman saw it as financial suicide if they gained promotion back then. Funnily enough they would start every season well and drop off after Christmas up until a season or so ago when they obviously thought the time was right to gain promotion and now they are in the Conf National.

Without significant investment or a big increase in attendances I can't see it being beneficial for us to gain promotion with our current financial position. I know that maybe the younger (we want it now generation) will not see it this way, maybe Martin Gray won't agree with this view as will some die hard fans. But I feel caution has to be urged we are not Fleetwood or AFC Flyde where money has been no object in propelling them up the non league pyramid, like I've said maybe biding our time and a bit of patience will be needed to make the next leap.
Agree totally with the above sentiments.
The town will get the football club it deserves. Volunteers, bucket collections, donations, 5 year season tickets etc, have got us this far, fantastic achievement. But the reality is that even at this level more clubs are going full time. To compete, like it or not we are going to have to become full time. To achieve that we need bigger attendances and a lot more corporate sponsorship. If that is not forthcoming then the town will get a part time club destined to perhaps yo-yo between National North and the National league.
First priority though has to be improvements to Blackwell Meadow up to National league requirements. As real darlo says patience.
I also think promotion would be bordering on financial suicide. I can't see any scope for the players budget being increased given the ground needs. There is nothing wrong in taking a reality check as Bromley did.
Again...how do you take a reality check? Our team is good enough for promotion so do we throw games?

The only way is to purposely not spend on players and to have a weakened side, that's acceptable if we start the season that way, but to do it if we look like getting promoted would lose fans quickly.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

User avatar
theoriginalfatcat
Posts: 6718
Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 7:40 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by theoriginalfatcat » Fri Jan 27, 2017 6:39 pm

shawry wrote:Again...how do you take a reality check? Our team is good enough for promotion so do we throw games?

The only way is to purposely not spend on players and to have a weakened side, that's acceptable if we start the season that way, but to do it if we look like getting promoted would lose fans quickly.

And lose players. the good ones anyway!

I can imagine Gray's team talk - " right lads, we're getting uncomfortably close to the playoff zone and there's only two games left so Carts, put your boots on the wrong way round, Becks, drink these two pints of beer, and Thommo, I'm putting you in goal - to see how you get on like. I know i said we'd bust a gut to get promoted and that you've all working towards that but trust me on this - I know what I'm doing"
Profile pic ↗️
Feethams the Panda. 28 Jan 2012.
Now extinct!

lo36789
Posts: 10930
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:58 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by lo36789 » Fri Jan 27, 2017 7:01 pm

It's surely not that hard to see. People have been calling out we need a new goalkeeper coz Jameson has been making too many error - don't buy a new goalkeeper.

Jameson is good enough to hit the playoffs maybe do we need to pay the fee and wages of another goalkeeper to take us further.

Gray loves buying strikers if we fire blanks for a few weeks - maybe he doesn't get the next one. We just accept there are a few games we lose because we don't our score the opponent.

Not getting promoted does not instantly mean relegation battle there is a massive area called top 10 and mid-table in between the two.

shawry
Posts: 2600
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 4:55 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by shawry » Fri Jan 27, 2017 7:11 pm

lo36789 wrote:It's surely not that hard to see. People have been calling out we need a new goalkeeper coz Jameson has been making too many error - don't buy a new goalkeeper.

Jameson is good enough to hit the playoffs maybe do we need to pay the fee and wages of another goalkeeper to take us further.

Gray loves buying strikers if we fire blanks for a few weeks - maybe he doesn't get the next one. We just accept there are a few games we lose because we don't our score the opponent.

Not getting promoted does not instantly mean relegation battle there is a massive area called top 10 and mid-table in between the two.
You are right. But to try to guarantee not being in the mix means making sure you don't have the right players capable of aiming for play offs. That means lesser standards and with that calibre of player it's easier to get sucked to the wrong end of the table.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

User avatar
Allan Quatermain
Posts: 982
Joined: Tue Feb 23, 2010 1:01 pm
Team Supported: Darlington
Location: Darlington
Contact:

Re: Club accounts

Post by Allan Quatermain » Fri Jan 27, 2017 7:40 pm

princes town wrote:
banktopp wrote:
real_darlo_85 wrote:I echo that there are some very valid points raised in this thread about how the club should try to progress financially off the field to continue the progress on it.

I think in my opinion that we have now reached a level we could easily maintain with current fan base and sponsorship/investment. With this maybe we are going to have to be patient about gaining promotion to the Conference National as what others have mentioned making the next step has to be financially calculated for it to be worth it in the long run without putting the club at any risk.

An example of a calculated promotion was Bromley (Conf South to National). A friend I know who was quite close to their board said to me back in 2010 that their chairman saw it as financial suicide if they gained promotion back then. Funnily enough they would start every season well and drop off after Christmas up until a season or so ago when they obviously thought the time was right to gain promotion and now they are in the Conf National.

Without significant investment or a big increase in attendances I can't see it being beneficial for us to gain promotion with our current financial position. I know that maybe the younger (we want it now generation) will not see it this way, maybe Martin Gray won't agree with this view as will some die hard fans. But I feel caution has to be urged we are not Fleetwood or AFC Flyde where money has been no object in propelling them up the non league pyramid, like I've said maybe biding our time and a bit of patience will be needed to make the next leap.
Agree totally with the above sentiments.
The town will get the football club it deserves. Volunteers, bucket collections, donations, 5 year season tickets etc, have got us this far, fantastic achievement. But the reality is that even at this level more clubs are going full time. To compete, like it or not we are going to have to become full time. To achieve that we need bigger attendances and a lot more corporate sponsorship. If that is not forthcoming then the town will get a part time club destined to perhaps yo-yo between National North and the National league.
First priority though has to be improvements to Blackwell Meadow up to National league requirements. As real darlo says patience.
I also think promotion would be bordering on financial suicide. I can't see any scope for the players budget being increased given the ground needs. There is nothing wrong in taking a reality check as Bromley did.
It's only financial suicide if we decided to pay for a full-time squad to compete in that division. That is not necessarily what we would do - there are plenty of examples of teams being promoted and ending up in a league seemingly too high for them yet in some cases they shoot above their weight on a limited budget. Hell, it happens every season in the Premier League.

It may be a bit of a culture shock to some who have only ever known Darlington as a winning team but would it be so bad to have a team of part time players playing mainly full-time teams every week? We'd probably be at the end of the table we haven't been at for a few years but I'd be proud as punch of what the team and club had achieved to have the right to play there.

I trust the current board to make the decision about becoming a full time club for the right reasons and at the right time financially. I suspect they are not 'George' enough to spunk money on something we simply can't afford. Surely the directors, coaching team, the players and us fans want our club to remain financially sustainable (part-time) but to be playing that football at the highest level possible.

Talk of losing games, not trying to get promoted and other such rubbish should be stopped right now.
Alun's promise to the fans: “I’ll make sure I’ll bring players in that are value for money and I want players that want to play for Darlington Football Club, want to progress and move up the league and show the fans that passion.”

HarryCharltonsCat
Posts: 1023
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:06 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by HarryCharltonsCat » Fri Jan 27, 2017 7:53 pm

Spot on Tony. A few part timers in national league now isn't there? Our knee jerkers would have to get used to potentially not winning every week, and we'd possibly lose a few who have become too accustomed to success, but hey ho. A win when you're crap is even more sweet than one when you're expected to win, as a few of us can testify.

Darlogramps
Posts: 6025
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 10:47 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by Darlogramps » Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:05 pm

HarryCharltonsCat wrote: A win when you're crap is even more sweet than one when you're expected to win, as a few of us can testify.
:wtf: :wtf:

Whatever you say...
If ever you're bored or miserable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZohZoadGY

Quakerz
Posts: 20958
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:32 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by Quakerz » Sat Jan 28, 2017 5:44 pm

Allan Quatermain wrote: Talk of losing games, not trying to get promoted and other such rubbish should be stopped right now.
I don't think anybody is saying that we should "not try" to finish as high as possible, because that is surely the point of football, even for relegation favourites.

What some people are saying is that it would not be a disaster if we tried but failed to go up for a season or three.

We would need to be in contention every season though, to keep interest up and gates at a good level.

We're in this for the long haul, and will get there in the end. The more infrastructure that we have in place, the better
Image

“Everybody knows where that club is going now, so I’m out of the way. They can carry on, it’s their club, they can keep it." - Raj Singh, 2017

SwansQuaker83
Posts: 696
Joined: Wed Feb 18, 2015 4:46 pm
Team Supported: Swansea (and Darlo of course)

Re: Club accounts

Post by SwansQuaker83 » Sat Jan 28, 2017 5:51 pm

theoriginalfatcat wrote:
shawry wrote:Again...how do you take a reality check? Our team is good enough for promotion so do we throw games?

The only way is to purposely not spend on players and to have a weakened side, that's acceptable if we start the season that way, but to do it if we look like getting promoted would lose fans quickly.

And lose players. the good ones anyway!

I can imagine Gray's team talk - " right lads, we're getting uncomfortably close to the playoff zone and there's only two games left so Carts, put your boots on the wrong way round, Becks, drink these two pints of beer, and Thommo, I'm putting you in goal - to see how you get on like. I know i said we'd bust a gut to get promoted and that you've all working towards that but trust me on this - I know what I'm doing"
So this explains today's performance then....

princes town
Posts: 4127
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2011 2:14 pm
Team Supported: Darlington/Blackburn

Re: Club accounts

Post by princes town » Sun Jan 29, 2017 6:52 pm

shawry wrote:
princes town wrote:
banktopp wrote:
real_darlo_85 wrote:I echo that there are some very valid points raised in this thread about how the club should try to progress financially off the field to continue the progress on it.

I think in my opinion that we have now reached a level we could easily maintain with current fan base and sponsorship/investment. With this maybe we are going to have to be patient about gaining promotion to the Conference National as what others have mentioned making the next step has to be financially calculated for it to be worth it in the long run without putting the club at any risk.

An example of a calculated promotion was Bromley (Conf South to National). A friend I know who was quite close to their board said to me back in 2010 that their chairman saw it as financial suicide if they gained promotion back then. Funnily enough they would start every season well and drop off after Christmas up until a season or so ago when they obviously thought the time was right to gain promotion and now they are in the Conf National.

Without significant investment or a big increase in attendances I can't see it being beneficial for us to gain promotion with our current financial position. I know that maybe the younger (we want it now generation) will not see it this way, maybe Martin Gray won't agree with this view as will some die hard fans. But I feel caution has to be urged we are not Fleetwood or AFC Flyde where money has been no object in propelling them up the non league pyramid, like I've said maybe biding our time and a bit of patience will be needed to make the next leap.
Agree totally with the above sentiments.
The town will get the football club it deserves. Volunteers, bucket collections, donations, 5 year season tickets etc, have got us this far, fantastic achievement. But the reality is that even at this level more clubs are going full time. To compete, like it or not we are going to have to become full time. To achieve that we need bigger attendances and a lot more corporate sponsorship. If that is not forthcoming then the town will get a part time club destined to perhaps yo-yo between National North and the National league.
First priority though has to be improvements to Blackwell Meadow up to National league requirements. As real darlo says patience.
I also think promotion would be bordering on financial suicide. I can't see any scope for the players budget being increased given the ground needs. There is nothing wrong in taking a reality check as Bromley did.
Again...how do you take a reality check? Our team is good enough for promotion so do we throw games?

The only way is to purposely not spend on players and to have a weakened side, that's acceptable if we start the season that way, but to do it if we look like getting promoted would lose fans quickly.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
it is worth me clarifying that my views are not merely confined to what happens on the pitch but a reality check about whether we can even sustain a conference place off it. The ground, the finances and general organisation are things that need to be sorted. Many northern league clubs have refused promotion on similar grounds.

al_quaker
Posts: 5942
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 2:51 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by al_quaker » Mon Jan 30, 2017 11:04 am

princes town wrote: it is worth me clarifying that my views are not merely confined to what happens on the pitch but a reality check about whether we can even sustain a conference place off it. The ground, the finances and general organisation are things that need to be sorted. Many northern league clubs have refused promotion on similar grounds.
Funny you mention the northern league as speaking to some fans, they seem to be edging towards a dangerous northern league mentality regarding promotion - talk of financial suicide, biding their time until the club is ready, and so on.

Promotion would only be financial suicide if the club didn't budget properly (and we need to start breaking even now) The whole purpose of taking part in the pyramid system is promotion and relegation. If we managed to get promotion this season (something which, let's be honest, is looking less likely by the week) then we would give it our best shot in the Conference next season (which would no doubt be very tough, on and off the pitch). If that's not good enough, then we get relegated back to the CN again.

As long as we start budgeting properly, what will happen on the pitch will happen. While we are settling in at BM, developing the off the pitch side of the club, and coping with the 500 club income deficit, then I reckon flirting with 5th in the conference north is probably about our limit - there are some big budgets in this league. But we should embrace promotion if we manage to overachieve on a sensible budget,. Otherwise, what's the point in being in the pyramid system :thumbup:

Darlogramps
Posts: 6025
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 10:47 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by Darlogramps » Mon Jan 30, 2017 11:52 am

al_quaker wrote:
princes town wrote: it is worth me clarifying that my views are not merely confined to what happens on the pitch but a reality check about whether we can even sustain a conference place off it. The ground, the finances and general organisation are things that need to be sorted. Many northern league clubs have refused promotion on similar grounds.
Funny you mention the northern league as speaking to some fans, they seem to be edging towards a dangerous northern league mentality regarding promotion - talk of financial suicide, biding their time until the club is ready, and so on.

Promotion would only be financial suicide if the club didn't budget properly (and we need to start breaking even now) The whole purpose of taking part in the pyramid system is promotion and relegation. If we managed to get promotion this season (something which, let's be honest, is looking less likely by the week) then we would give it our best shot in the Conference next season (which would no doubt be very tough, on and off the pitch). If that's not good enough, then we get relegated back to the CN again.

As long as we start budgeting properly, what will happen on the pitch will happen. While we are settling in at BM, developing the off the pitch side of the club, and coping with the 500 club income deficit, then I reckon flirting with 5th in the conference north is probably about our limit - there are some big budgets in this league. But we should embrace promotion if we manage to overachieve on a sensible budget,. Otherwise, what's the point in being in the pyramid system :thumbup:
I agree entirely with your way of thinking, but practically, it's a little more complex.

Firstly, in the five years since becoming a fan-run club, we have regularly gone over-budget. Even last year we lost £100k. Granted all of this was while we were out of Darlington, and being in the town, in theory should allow us to generate more revenue.

But the point stands that we don't have the greatest record for remaining within our budget. In short, and I know I'll get stick for this, but given the record of the past five years I doubt whether we would remain within budget if we went up.

Secondly, if we go up and end up being relegated in our first season, what impact would that have on attendances? Almost certainly they would decline.

Add to that, there would be a lot more negativity because of our poor performances. More fans would be critical (it's bad enough on here now and we're in the play-off spots). From some quarters, there'd be calls to sack Martin Gray.

And there'd be the temptation to throw a bit more money at the playing budget to remain competitive. Not just from fans, but also MG, who has regularly wanted his sides to be competitive in the division they're in. He would either have to be placated, or told "No" at which point we run the risk of him leaving.

And of course the next league up has much greater off-the-field costs, particularly as we'd be travelling to places like Torquay and Dover.

So, while I'm reluctant to adopt a Northern League pitchfork-waver mentality of turning down promotion, there are also practical concerns and undoubtedly going up this season would cause us plenty of headaches, not least in terms of upgrading Blackwell Meadows again.

I'd never advocate turning down promotion - as you say, that's why we're in the pyramid system. But it can't be denied that not going up would solve plenty of headaches for us.
If ever you're bored or miserable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZohZoadGY

lo36789
Posts: 10930
Joined: Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:58 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by lo36789 » Mon Jan 30, 2017 12:07 pm

I think it is possible that other thought patterns have been mixed together. Nobody is saying we shouldn't attempt to compete at the highest level we can - within budget.

The fact is even a drop in form recently has seen fans calling for more investment to keep the promotion push going. A single player having a poor run (Jameson) instantly starts people looking for replacements.

I don't think that with the squad we have right now we are good enough to go up, if we did then I wouldn't turn it down, but what I don't think we should be doing right now is investing in order to create a promotion winning team - I don't think our budget extends to that.

al_quaker
Posts: 5942
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 2:51 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by al_quaker » Mon Jan 30, 2017 12:31 pm

I agree with pretty much everything you say gramps. I think if we got promoted we'd struggle, which wouldn't be great for income (although it's not guaranteed to be worse off - we wouldn't definitely struggle, higher entrance fee, more recognisable teams , perhaps bigger away followings, BT televised games, and in theory it's easier for a cup run - not that you would budget for it of course). Relegation also would not be good for the feel around the club either. I fully understand that long term it would probably be beneficial to not be promoted this season, and in a year or 2's time we would be less likely to struggle with the step up.

I think my view fits in with the majority - we want to be promoted without overspending, but if we don't get promoted this season it's not a disaster by any stretch of the imagination, and certainly makes things easier off the pitch. However, it was just the hint of a NL type mentality within a few which worried me.

User avatar
Robbie Painter
Posts: 2289
Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2009 8:37 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by Robbie Painter » Mon Jan 30, 2017 12:46 pm

Travelling costs would increase in the division above, but that would be more than covered by the increase in central funding distribution from playing in the conference national.

Personally would be nice to get into playoffs, with the chance to go up but playing next season in same division with potentially some more local clubs in the mix & the possibility of challenging towards the top end of the table would make for a more exciting season than the probable battle against relegation in the national league.

Gow9900
Posts: 351
Joined: Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:09 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by Gow9900 » Mon Jan 30, 2017 1:36 pm

As has been said before, going up is not a top priority, the team we have is not good enough to go up, as proved by 2 wins in the last 11 games. Not me being negative, just realistic. We're not a bad side, but we are lacking in key areas at the moment and it is costing us.

It was imperative that we got out of the leagues below as soon as we did, which we did, but the urgency for on the field progress has dissipated, and a need to build the club off the field to then prepare it for future on the field challenges has become more imperative.

It's important that we stop this rot as soon as possible, as it will effect gates, but conceding 2/3 goals every game will put off the fair weather fans, it's as simple as that.

My priorities moving forward would be:

- Develop Blackwell more, plans will be in place but we need to develop the ground to make it a better experience for supporters.
- Build up the sponsorship/corporate income. This will take time as trust has been completely destroyed numerous times by the administrations, but things such as the Virgin deal show that the reputation is being slowly repaired.
- Look at setting targets and achieving a certain number of season ticket holders, being pro-active in the town and promoting the club. We do this better than we did when we were full time, with our use of social media, the fantastic highlights packages that Kev Luff does etc etc, but we have a long way to go.

Promotion is a priority of the club in the future, we should not be settling for Conference North, not in any arrogant way, but we were a league club for best part of 100 years, and that should be our ultimate aim, but whilst we have made huge strides since 2012, we are still an insanely long way off being anywhere near that.

And a cup run would be nice, but we seem incapable of winning one cup game despite having played lower league opposition this season twice so I don't expect that to happen.

bga
Posts: 2270
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:18 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by bga » Mon Jan 30, 2017 2:49 pm

On page 10 of the Club accounts it shows we received £11,583 in "Transfer fees". Below this it shows we paid £24,000 in "Signing on" fees. Does this mean we paid out no transfer fees in that period, which would appear a bit odd in that the selling club received nothing but the players did?

spen666
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue Jul 03, 2012 9:12 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by spen666 » Mon Jan 30, 2017 3:53 pm

bga wrote:On page 10 of the Club accounts it shows we received £11,583 in "Transfer fees". Below this it shows we paid £24,000 in "Signing on" fees. Does this mean we paid out no transfer fees in that period, which would appear a bit odd in that the selling club received nothing but the players did?
Having not seen the accounts, this is a stab in the dark, but is the £11,583 a net figure -ie received more incoming fees than outgoing?

I am surprised at the signing on fees being so high given this covers a season in the NPL. I never realised signing on fees in that league were common or so high. This is not a dig at Darlington, but just an observation regarding non league football in general

Quakerz
Posts: 20958
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:32 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by Quakerz » Mon Jan 30, 2017 4:10 pm

Well, you know, we are trying to compete with the likes of Spennymoor who seem to be able to offer better wages to the likes of Chandler, Ramshaw, Curtis, Craddock and any number of other players in previous seasons...
Image

“Everybody knows where that club is going now, so I’m out of the way. They can carry on, it’s their club, they can keep it." - Raj Singh, 2017

Darlogramps
Posts: 6025
Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2010 10:47 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by Darlogramps » Mon Jan 30, 2017 6:57 pm

Quakerz wrote:Well, you know, we are trying to compete with the likes of Spennymoor who seem to be able to offer better wages to the likes of Chandler, Ramshaw, Curtis, Craddock and any number of other players in previous seasons...
But they're not bankrolled, according to their supporters.....
If ever you're bored or miserable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZohZoadGY

bga
Posts: 2270
Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:18 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by bga » Mon Jan 30, 2017 7:13 pm

spen666 wrote:
bga wrote:On page 10 of the Club accounts it shows we received £11,583 in "Transfer fees". Below this it shows we paid £24,000 in "Signing on" fees. Does this mean we paid out no transfer fees in that period, which would appear a bit odd in that the selling club received nothing but the players did?
Having not seen the accounts, this is a stab in the dark, but is the £11,583 a net figure -ie received more incoming fees than outgoing?

I am surprised at the signing on fees being so high given this covers a season in the NPL. I never realised signing on fees in that league were common or so high. This is not a dig at Darlington, but just an observation regarding non league football in general
I doubt we received more in Transfer fees than we paid out! However having looked at the accounts again I wonder if the Purchases figure of £34,464 shown under the "Cost of sales Heading" is Transfer fees paid out? If correct it might be clearer if this was detailed as "Transfer Fees (paid out)," but I guess there are other costs associated with Transfers in (e.g. a registration fee plus others) that have to be included here. Anyone else agree or explain please?

Undercovered
Posts: 250
Joined: Sun May 15, 2016 1:35 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Club accounts

Post by Undercovered » Mon Jan 30, 2017 7:48 pm

Purchases could relate to anything, for instance stock bought for QR etc
Image

Post Reply