Ahead of our home game on Saturday we would like to remind fans that Darlington FC strongly condemns any sort of discriminatory behaviour at our matches, both at home and away.

We will not tolerate or condone racist, misogynist, homophobic, sexist or any other form of discriminatory behaviour. The club will work to ensure that such behaviour is met with appropriate action in whatever context it occurs.

We would also like to draw attention to the following National League ground regulation regarding pyrotechnics

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/about/ground-regulations-smoke-no-joke

and also the following:

• The following acts are offences under the Football (Offences) Act 1991 (as amended):
  • The throwing of any object within the Ground without lawful authority or excuse.
  • The chanting of anything of an indecent or racist nature.
  • The entry onto the playing area or any adjacent area to which spectators are not generally admitted without lawful authority or excuse. Conviction may result in a Banning Order being made.

We are sure that all of our fair-minded fans will support our stance, as we are trying to build a club that can proudly stand at the heart of our community. Incidents like the one at Scarborough in January 2023 which detracted from a great win on the field, do not help the reputation which we have painstakingly built as a fan-owned club over the last eleven years.

We admitted a charge of misconduct from the FA, and were fined £1500, of which £500 was suspended. We were also instructed to implement an action plan, which included the appointment of two Supporter Liaison Officers. However, it is very clear that if there is a repetition of any type of abuse at one of our matches, we run the risk of being heavily punished.

Discriminatory behaviour, unfortunately, is common in everyday life, but Darlington FC is absolutely determined that it will not be heard or seen at any of our matches whether it is directed at another spectator, player, volunteer, employee or match official.

We encourage anyone who experiences discriminatory abuse, or witnesses it, to e mail report@darlingtonfc.org in the strictest of confidence, alert a steward, or use our discriminatory text service on 07897031883

We will continue to work with organisations such as Her Game Too and Kick It Out to help us eradicate discrimination at our matches, and we will also co-operate fully with any police investigation.

Thank you for your co-operation