Darlington FC v FC Halifax Town

Monday 26^th December kick off 3pm at Blackwell Meadows, Darlington

Match Day Information from the Directors of Darlington Football Club.

First and foremost we want to thank all of you who are either season ticket holders or have purchased tickets for the game, for your support . The match is all ticket and with a crowd expected in excess of 3000 including a large proportion of away fans the game will be segregated for both home and away fans. The following is a guide to the facilities available on the day .

Access to the ground

Home turnstiles are to the east of the ground, on the left as you walk towards the club house, away fan turnstiles to the right . Please allow yourself plenty of time to get to the ground early, turnstiles open at 1.00pm and we would request everyone aims to be in the ground for 2.45pm. The kick off will not be delayed for late arrivals and there is only so much capacity to process tickets if the majority of people turn up in the last 30 minutes. Please have your ticket available as you approach the turnstile, anyone without a ticket will not be admitted.

Seating

All seating is allocated and season ticket holders, 500 club and president club members should now be aware of their seat numbers. If you don’t know please contact the stand steward on the day who will direct you to your seat . Please be in your seat by 2.45pm.

Bar Facilities

The only on-site bar facilities are the Quaker Club which is only open to Quakers Club members and Presidents Club members who show proof of membership on the day. Door stewards will be on site so please ensure you have your card with you to identify yourself . The Quaker Club will open at 1-30pm until 6pm. Please note no drinks will be served during the game. There will be no further bar facilities available at Blackwell Meadows on the day.

Parking

There is limited pay parking available on the day at £5 per car. The club has been able to secure an additional 50 parking spaces on the day above the usual amount, all paid parking will be on a strictly first come first served basis.

If you don’t have a car park pass, the club recommends using the car parks in the town centre, a 10 to 15 minute walk from the ground.

Anyone who has a pre-paid parking season ticket or intends to drive to the ground for paid parking needs to be there by 2-15pm or they will not have access to the car park for safety reasons . This rule will be strictly enforced. Note: the road from the club house to Grange Road including the car park will be closed from 2-15pm to 5-15pm for all traffic except emergency services.

The DFCSG have produced a guide to travel for Blackwell Meadows and can be accessed here http://www.darlingtonfcsupportersgroup.org/index.php/?x=entry:entry161222-062316

Refreshments

Refreshments of hot and cold drinks and food will be available in the ground in both the home and away ends. Please remember that the ground will be full and there are limited outlets available, so be prepared to queue.

Programmes and 50/50 draw tickets

A commemorative 84 page match day programme has been produced for the day and will be available for £5. Programme sellers will be in the ground along with 50-50 draw tickets sellers with the expected prize being a record figure . Please bring change with you on the day to assist the volunteers.

Toilet facilities

Toilet facilities are available in the ground in both the home and away end adjacent to the turnstiles .

Help / first aid / instructions

The stewards and staff of the club are there to help you . If for any reason first aid is required ,the first aid point is at the club house or contact the nearest steward. They are in radio contact and will get help as required.

If you are instructed by a steward or official for any reason to do something or cease doing something we would ask for your cooperation .

Exiting the ground

After the game, home fans will leave the ground first with the away fans delayed for approximately 5 to 10 minutes to allow the area to clear. Please be patient when leaving the ground and exiting down Grange Road . On Grange Road please remain on the footpath for your own personal safety. No cars will leave the car park areas until the surrounding area has cleared in the interests of pedestrian safety.

Finally – Respect and consideration

This is a special day for the fans and officials of the Football Club, we are all volunteers who do this because we love the club. We would kindly ask that you respect all the volunteers on the day and be patient and tolerant as we adjust to the move to our new home in Darlington. It will be a big new experience for everybody.

After the game we will be asking for constructive feedback so we can improve the match day experience. Enjoy the game and most importantly let’s make this a memorable moment in Darlington’s history for all the right reasons.