Im just not sure i want to anymore, guess its emotional fatigue or something.

I put a wedge into the 50K the trust had back in the day, look how that turned out.

Then invested in crowdcube, the moneys come back.

In January chipping in the players fund and a fiver hour journey to Barrow seem like the right thing to do for my club without question.

Now we are urged to invested in another layer of groups before the club. Which I still dont really understand, although admittedly there has been a genuine effort of clarity offered.

Are we a phoenix? From what I’ve read the FA seem to think so. So what am I investing in?

Im sure once we start nailing things down:
which league we are in, squad building, manager and strip with my team badge on.
Ill start feeling attached again but at the moment, supporting my darlo feels a bit like knitting fog.
With both stadium moves I felt a bit detached, for a while anyway.

I totally agree in theory that as a collective we could be part of the solution and move forward.

I won’t lie either 4-5 years in the non leagues isnt selling it to me, the conference I could cope with but Northern league. I go watch my mates in fucking northern league!

This isn’t a rant or bitching, I know people have put so much of their lives on hold to help the club survive and I’m eternally grateful.

I’m just not sure where I stand at the moment. Im bored of stressing about it, footbal is supposed to be my escape from stress not the bloody cause.

Given our recent history do you not think it woudl be prudent to have enough cash in the bank to pay a manager and players wages for a decent period of time? it's going to be tough enough convincing players to sign without the club having to admit they havn't got 2 brass farthings to rub together

Not put in yet, but I will be. No real reason not too just yet other than been a bit busy.

I did prefer the part where I own part of my club not part of a community group that owns part of my club. Not that I expected to influence things with the small amount I will be investing but just because it seemed to be right, we all buy shares of the club and own it. We each had our percentage. Enough of that anyhow things move on and what is important is we have a team come season 12/13.

Roll on tomorrow, I think I will await the decision and then put my money in. Not because if we got stuck in the Northern League I won't put in, more if we are unhappy I will confirm my commitment by putting in. Not sure why but it seems the way I am doing it.

This should not fail because of Raj, we should make it work to spite him.

Emotional fatigue ...... if that's what we feel like, what must the interim board feel like. Come on N_H_P.

Personally, I'm drained of it all as well. Its been non stop ups and downs, but in a week or so, we'll have our club back (in some shape or form), a new level, new opponents, a new manager, future hopes and fears about returning to town after a season long sabbatical, (hopefully) hoops for our shirts, and our manager will be piecing together our new team.

We need YOU ...... yes, YOU .... and him ..... and that lady over there ..... all of you need to invest, recharge your batteries, and get ready for an entertaining season, at whatever level we get put at. We are the future of DFC, not the current board, not the players, definitely not he-who-shall-not-be-named.The board will guide us initially, but all us fans need to continue to invest in the future of darlington fc, both emotionally and financially. Invest, then recharge batteries ......

Say it after me .........

Invest, then recharge batteries .....





Invest, then recharge batteries .....





Invest, then recharge batteries .....





Invest, then recharge batteries .....




ad finitum

N-H-P I feel exactly like you.
Invested with Crowdcube and was prepared to re-invest if that scenario was going to work and we would be relegated no lower than Evostick prem.
Northern effing league ! As an exile there is no way I can justify a 500 mile round trip to
watch a pub team.
If the F.A . put us in the Northern league we may as well have gone tits up in January and started a phoenix club and saved thousands.
Will wait till tomorrow , Evostick will re-invest but Northrn League i'm afraid it's the end of a
fifty year love affair unless some one can convince me otherwise.

No one can make you put your money in. However, whatever league we are placed in it, DFC is going to be our club. No more businessmen only interested in land, only people who want the best for the football club. Yes, there is a difference between Evostik and Northern League. However, neither are where we want or expect to be as a football club. We need to keep supporting the club, however we can, to ensure we get back to where we should be. I hope you stick by the club no matter which league we are in. It won't be easy, but if we stick with the club, we will end up with a fan owned club, playing in an appropriate sized stadium, rising up the leagues. It sounds good to me.

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Boycott greedy clubs!!

Had a lot going on lately so I'm a no. To be honest I'm waiting for the outcome of tomorrows decision coupled with the fact that I don't really understand this whole CIC idea.

Realise Kev and Laura have worked really hard getting the sites up and running but I haven't had chance to take a look over what the CIC means to me. I have an affinity with Darlo Uncovered so that was looking like a good way to invest but I want to make sure I get as much bang for buck as it were.

tinshedender .... fifty years shouldn't end because the fa put us in the northern league, rather than the evostick. With a 500 mile round trip I'd assume your trips would be few and far between this coming season, but that doesn't have to stop you investing in your club. Irrespective of how harshly the FA choose to deal with us for our previous chairmen's folly's, we have the same club we have supported for years - just.

Lets not waste all the hard work and money that has been put in so far - and you have helped that, as much as anyone. We didn't know we would be so harshly treated by the FA, and we can still appeal, as Chester did, if that is necessary.

A love affair is a love affair (- allegedly) and doesn't have to end because a third party is taking the piss out of you

I'm a no. Got my money back today and spent it on golf stuff. I'll not be reinvesting in the short term either. I will still go to games (I think) and still look forward to beers with the lads, but as far as caring goes at the minute I really could take it or leave it and probably wouldn't miss it if it wasn't there.

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Mullet69uk on Twitter

You know don't you? It's northern league isn't it?

I do not believe for one second that nobody within 1883 has been tipped off.

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http://twitter.com/Quakerz72

It is the northern leage. It will be northern league div 1, alongside Durham City and increasing that division to 24. This surfaced well over a week ago and if 1883 are unaware then god help us.

*god help us is a turn of phrase, not meant literally.....

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Mullet69uk on Twitter

Divas,

I voted "yes"...however...

I got my Crowdcube money back very quickly and the only clear investment option last week was the Supporters club so I chucked it in there.
I was a bit surprised this week when I received a reply saying thanks for the donation - I actually thought I was buying shares!

Very happy to donate of course but that meant I didn't own even a single share.

Decided anyway to buy a share directly in 1883 when the new website went live earlier this week - cash I originally intended to invest anyway at a later date, so I just brought this forward.

Obviously nobody can tell people how they should spend their cash and at this time of year the focus goes away from football, however I urge any fans who have doubts about investing that their investment or contribution will enable Darlington FC to happen next season and pave the way for the club to continue into the future.
There simply won't be a next season if the investments fall short.

No idea at all. I'm a glass half empty sort of person at the moment, I'm afraid. Still invested, but I, like many, fear the worst.

Chins up lads - bulldog spirit and all that!

Being put in the Northern League will test my resolve majorly... Really not sure whether I could handle that.

I too am rather confused by this notion that a drop to the Northern League infers that we stop as an entity. the chances are the teams in the NL may actually be better than the Evostick 1. More importantly, our sense of identity shouldn't be dictated by something as transitory as league status. The NL is a league with a tremendous heritage.

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This empty sanitised shell of a stadium, a cathedral to the vanity and narcissism of one man. It’s very difficult to fall in love with football amongst the rows of empty seats. The notion that a stadium has worth beyond its potential commerical value or it’s proximity to transport links – as a spiritual repository of the hopes,fears and agonies of generations of supporters, or as a physical manifestation of the football club in the community, is a dying one in football (Sam Volkman)

I'm in the Ding, Robbie Painter, Ponderer group - as I suspect others may be. I put £600 into CC and have another £200 to commit now but am a bit loathe to do so as for me it is a bit too much money just to "chuck in the pot". I will join CIC but would be happy to commit to £100 a month but not with nothing to show for it. As stated before a shareholding is required for my commitment. I'm obviously not going to break the 15% level and ahve no desire for any returns (financially anyway) but after the way the supporter's trust (which I also joined) went moribund I am loathe to just chuck in money without any say if things turned bad a couple of year's down the line. I'm not going to be a big participatory guy and am content to let others run it as long as I am happy they are right minded and sensible - which the current board seem to be.

If the current situation only offers the CIC model then I will probably chuck in what I have in Crowd Cube and then leave it at that with the odd donation here and there through Uncovered.

Yeah, bloody exactly. There is ONE promotion place from the Northern League, and no play offs. The Evo 1N has an automatic promotion place AND a play off place! So it's twice as hard to get out of the NL AND we are lower down, AND have debt from before. Our aim is to climb back up the leagues asap, it's no good getting stuck in the fricking NL, but consolidating ourselves with the fact that it's "probably" as good as Evo 1N!



It certainly is, but I wouldn't want to be stuck there. For the level there are some big clubs, Whitley Bay get 400+ as an average, Spennymoor nearly 400 - I don't think there are many step 5 leagues with that sort of support.

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http://twitter.com/Quakerz72

I've put £100 in CIC and for the rest contacted 1883 to invest directly (who have now got back to me). Any further money I invest will be via the CIC. That really is the way forward for us as Darlo fans together to buy a majority shareholding in our club over time. A democratic structure working with the community and for DFC - it's the way forward.

I'd urge anyone currently holding back on committing their money to do so now. This is the last hurdle we have to get over and if we don't all act we could still fail.

By pledging your cash into the CIC you do get something tangible, membership and a vote. If you have £500+ and are interested in investing directly contact 1883: donate@savedarlo.org

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Robbie Painter - http://twitter.com/RobbiePainter

Im not donating any cash as ive spent it. If I manage to get some overtime in at work then that will go in to the fund but with a holidays in 9 weeks, wedding 2 years today away to save for im sorry to say I personally cant afford £100.

I think the minimum of £100 in the new model may put a few fair weather supporters off from investing (previously I had invested £200).

But it was a minimum of £100 in the previous model

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Boycott greedy clubs!!

I find that last point a bit odd, it was minimum £100 before.

It's not necessarily a minimum of £100 now, you can put your money in through other mediums. I guess with the legal entities issue with the supporters groups it's not quite perfect yet but I think the ideal world is that a fans group which is made up of <£100 investments then that group with either buy shares in 1883 Limited (for every £100 they get) or a CIC membership and then they will have 1 vote in the CIC. The board will be put to a vote to all members so it will be upto the internal structures of the supporters groups to decide how they will allocate their vote.

Then there is the next level as the CIC is actually buying shares within 1883. It is more complex that before but it does offer options to people if they cannot afford £100 and they still get a say.

Im aware the previous set up was £100, i did state I had previously invested £200. Im sat with £50 left over but no real point investing that amount as ive no affiliation with any supporters groups. No feeling of owning part of the club makes me not really want to invest.

I might as well use that £50 for a darlo fc jersie and a match ticket

but if you invest the CIC you still get members certificate and voting rights, same as before just about

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@Charliejovi on twitter

Where do I go to invest directly into cic,is there a link for the website?

http://www.1883cic.org/?page_id=33

That has all the details

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Boycott greedy clubs!!

Right, I've decided to re-invest.

And I've just done it.

Not a huge amount though.

Since it's now the northern league, 200 grand debt and maybe a name change to AFC darlo it would be fair to say the savedarlo project has failed.
A way out of this mess would be for 1883 to hand over the football share to the trust, and a new trust run afc Darlington. This would get rid of the historic debt and give the club funds (53 grand)to restart. Also get the backing of supporters direct.

1883 could then go bust and we could all start again just like all the other phoenix clubs have, the whole point of all this admin a fresh start with no debt

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Ding,ding home time...somehow DFC have to get back to Darlo.

Two words and one of them is "off"

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COME ON DARLO!

Looks like you are back then? ....