New seated stand given thumbs-up

Darlington FC is pleased to announce that the new extension to the seated stand at Blackwell Meadows will be open this Saturday for the home league game against Curzon Ashton.

The extension, which holds 294 seats taking the total capacity of the stand to 588, was completely financed by Darlington FC fans to the tune of £150,000. Darlington Borough Council gave its approval to the new structure on Tuesday.

Chris Stockdale, chair of the Darlington FC Supporters Group, said; “The completion of the new stand extension is an important milestone for our Football Club. Not only will it enhance the matchday facilities at Blackwell Meadows and improve our offering to families in particular, it also means that the ground has now reached the standard required to be eligible for promotion to the National League.

“This development has been fully funded by our fans and I'd like to thank everyone who has contributed, from our large community share investors to the supporters throwing their coins into the buckets on a matchday. It’s a fantastic achievement that we should all be rightfully proud of. Darlington fans have raised over £1 million since taking ownership of the club in 2012.”

The club has unveiled an Early Bird season ticket offer for the new stand. Under 11s will also be admitted free, which makes visiting Blackwell Meadows a very attractive proposition for families.

The club would also like to thank contractors Richardsons for completing the job on schedule and on budget.