Open to be shot down on this post, but hopefully not too much....

Having just read posts from the past 24 hours from forum members who clearly have the club at heart, has the time come for more people to approach the board to offer their assistance (I wouldn't worry that you haven't been personally asked - just offer!). The 1883 Board have working parties reporting to them, which would be ideal for a good number of people who have expertise, knowledge & passion in loads of areas. Having had dialogue with some members of the interim board since January, I have been hugely impressed with their devotion, effort and commitment. Unpaid work during huge number of work hours is an outstanding effort and a number of these people have been fans of the club for as many years as I can remember and have the club at heart. They are certainly not doing this in a day of 9-5, it has been pretty much full on all day long, board meetings on Sundays lasting hours and thousands of emails (and "Ask 1883" questions) to deal with.

Are they getting everything right - not at all! They never will. The next board won't get everything right either. Has any board in the past 129 years got it right, no they haven't. However the board need to realise there isn't a club in England with fans 100% happy with the board (ask Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Spurs, Newcastle, Everton, Liverpool), so need to take some criticism on the chin as part of their role. However, this interim board have been up against significantly more obstacles than any other DFC board in our history, and that certainly needs to be remembered. I can't think of another football club board that answers as many questions as they do.

Please, if you feel you have skills that can be helpful, approach someone involved and it can only be for the greater good. We've stood pretty much united during the past few months, let's not end up like Scarborough.

Having supplied the club this week with the recent merchandise and fundraising t shirts in January, I would hope I can make a reply to the comments posted recently. We've tried to look at various ways of promoting the merchandise (differing colours of garments etc), DFC logo or 1883 logo etc. We've produced a small amount of variable options, to see what the feedback is like from us, the fans. And it's great there's been feedback, as we can work on that. The last thing wanted was to produce a load of gear that people don't like and the club is saddled with a big bill to pay, we've tried to do a few variables and see what the feedback is like. There is no issue in producing a full colour logo, no issue at all, it was testing what people liked. Certainly I'm surprised people have commented on the quality of the actual garments before seeing them, but that is clearly an individual opinion, but please give it a chance.

I appreciate a number of people aren't keen on the choice of supplier (eg my company) and that there are other long suffering DFC fans out there that do similar work to us. I have been going to DFC for 31 years, only DFC fan in my school, programme seller, (unlucky) mascot, work experience, supporters club member in it's first year, so our company isn't a non DFC fan (which I think is important). I am local and have attended in excess of 600+ DFC matches. We have done all work for DFC at cost price or less and since January 2012 we have commmited to the new DFC over £2,000 in terms of cash, CIC, Crowdcube and Future Sponsorships. This we will be looking at putting more money in to the club as the season progresses (with the wife's permission I might add...). We answered a request for help with the Save Darlo t shirts openly on this forum back in January, when people asked for help. I was totally fed up with the Singh regime and the opportunity to be involved (at a fair cost to a small company of our size) and try and "do something" was something I really wanted to do. My staff worked their proverbials off to ensure we got the Save Darlo shirts ready for the earliest home game and is something we're pretty chuffed with. We had to pull my son out of school early so he could "model" the t shirts at a photography shoot. I can guarantee to anyone unhappy with the choice of current supplier, that you have certainly got a lifelong DFC fan with the club massively at heart. I would be very disappointed if we weren't supplying product as I love being involved, contributing (time and financially) and trying to help the cause but if people feel it is wrong decision, please, please contact the board and I am pretty sure they will listen to the feedback.

Cmon Darlo!

That's a top post, that is - and good to hear such a mature and loyal comment having been bashed over the last 24 hours. Thanks.

I've known Alex for years and hes a decent lad and his business has a good reputation and I dont honestly think people are bothered about the choice of supplier.

However, changing the badge (even for testing purposes) was a bad idea. Theres been too many changes to our club recently and the one thing that we paid for that identifies us as Darlington FC didnt need messing about with. Stick the proper badge on those tops and I doubt anybody would have complained.

Maybe right Robbo, and to be honest I haven't seen the tops, just saw the flak flying about and thought the post above was a spot on response.

To be honest I think there's a bit of an over reaction on the subject of the badge on the tops, it's just a mono version of the badge, all the detailing is correct. Fair enough on some of the tops a full colour version would have looked better, but it looks smart on others. I think it suits the hoodie particularly well.

All good logos/badges should be identifiable in monochrome and what do you know... it is.

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@loan_star
Can we please lay the badge issue to rest once and for all?
The remainder of your post is positive and you are clearly one of the "good guys" so please continue that way - as the man says himself, they haven't got everything right and future boards won't either.


To all those critics out there who have nothing to do other than snipe at hard working folk doing so much for no reward, think again before making such scathing criticism.
If these board members walk away we are truly Donald Ducked and no brave keyboard warriors with big words will be stepping up to put their necks on the chopping block.

The board have done a phenomenal job under the most trying of circumstances - no other club anywhere in the country (including Kettering and Pompeii) are going through as much turmoil as we are right now and no board anywhere is having to take on such a massive challenge as ours.
The board members are taking time away from their own businesses and families and are doing this because of their love of the club and to ensure that we all have a club to support in the future.
Put up or shut up! (except you Ted_do - you're so bad you're hilarious!)

Can I just say that not once have I questioned the quality of clothing that is being sold - the only thing I'm critical of is the reproduction of the badge. I've been reliably informed that the majority of clothing items that have been produced are of excellent quality and I have no reason not to believe that. Again, like I said to Tori this afternoon everyone involved should give themselves a massive pat on the back for getting items ready for tomorrow.

My main worry was always the club crest. This needs to remain as untampered as possible, not just because it's our 'brand' but because we've paid a hell of a lot of money for it. Single colour variants of the logo rarely work well in my opinion they just look poor.

In terms of money Alex, does it cost much more to reproduce the badge in the 3 colours needed?

Hi, we're producing some full colour logos also which board members will see during the week. We tried to get the logo to stand out well on the garments. My idea, maybe a bad idea in hindsight! The cost is not in colours, it's in stitches but we'll cover that ok. I'll get one of the board to post up images when done,

I don't think it'll always work of course. On the hot pink polos especially!

However certainly on the black polos, hoody, t shirts etc... It should remain untampered. Look forward to seeing full colour versions.

I reckon it would work well on the hot pink in full colour. The brand of shirts used is a good one and a decent price but maybe the white polo needs to be a heavier weight.

Really? Red on pink? Il take some convincing personally!

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Bear in mind the red is surrounded by white and black, creates a divide between the red and pink.

Lads, this conversation is about colour coordination - really?

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Definately! Got to look dapper in my new hot pink polo shirt!

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I believe the pink polo shirts sold out today.

Don't know how many there was though.

Our lass got a pink T shirt instead.

Think the hoodies sold out too from what Tori said. Excellent day all round.

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this is one of the problems of having a community run club. someone else is always going to comment on how it could have been done better or how they think things should be done. we are always going to be at risk of not uniting and also too many cooks spoiling the broth!

But that's why you have a board of directors, to make the decisions. If any fans don't like the decisions they can step up and put themselves forward for election.

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hear hear....and I'm sure the powers that be will understand that

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where we play in the short term isn't an issue....the fact we are playing at all is important!!
Founder Member 1883CIC
Come on Darlo

Yes that is always going to be the case with a community club run by committee, you will never please all the people all the time.
I hope that people will have thick skins and just use internet knock about critiques as a form of debate and not the gospel on what we should be doing.
I put stuff on here to keep debates going, but its only pub (like) talk, lets not get the whole thing out of proportion or this MB will turn into a formal debating society and alterative views will not be tolerated which will dilute the knock about nature of this type of forum.
Saying all that, We could do with being a bit friendlier and less swearing at each other though, but cie la vie.

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Foes List. none, I love everyone me.

Blimey ted, I agree with you!

This board should be taken as it is - a place to discuss all things Darlo. It's a place to debate various things and no doubt not everyone is going to agree. That should never change.

I think Alex's post above was fantastic - he's admitted that people aren't going to get things right all the time (it's a learning process afterall) and that they will take on the feedback from this thread to hopefully improve things further. That's all that can be asked.

A lot of people would take the above comments personally, but I think you need a thicker skin if you're going to look on here at times.

spot on. So can't the board just choose the name for us as well

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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)