“Life is a journey, not a destination” – a famous quotation that perfectly defines Darlington Football Club’s voyage towards a sustainable future.  We’re now entering our 12^th season of fan ownership and what a journey it’s been -- we’ve already achieved so much together.  Two league titles, three promotions, decent FA Cup and Trophy runs (who can forget the elation of Walsall away), achieving a solid standing in National League North and returning home to Darlington; but there’s more to come.

Our ambition is a return to the Football League playing attractive football in a new stadium that is underpinned by its own commercial assets.  We are committed to delivering the new stadium project.  The recent delays are beyond our control, but the preferred site remains within our grasp, architects are engaged and we’re finalising the delivery plan.

On the pitch, promotion remains our objective and we’ll continue to aim for the play-offs.  Last season’s break-even playing budget was around ‘mid-table’ when compared to other National League North Clubs.  The Board made a strategic decision to overspend by around £60,000 in the pursuit of a play-off place which, in turn, reduced our cash reserves.  This approach isn’t sustainable over the long term, which emphasises the importance of Boost The Budget and explains our ambitious yet achievable target of £150,000.  Football fortune income (i.e. tv revenue, cup runs and player sales) can also add to the playing budget throughout the course of a season… but the more we raise now, the better our prospects of attracting top players during the close season.

Since its inception six years ago, Boost The Budget investors have contributed over £600,000 to the club’s playing budget, a staggering contribution, and the very definition of “fan ownership”.  Last year, you raised an incredible £136,861, which helped us bring in some fantastic players and maintain a top three position for long periods of the season.

Key players Jacob Hazel, Adriano Moke, Jassem Sukar, Jake Lawlor, Ben Hedley and Tommy Taylor are already tied down for next season with more retained players likely to be announced.  This year’s Boost the Budget will allow the management team to add new players to that core, blending exciting new talent with experienced older heads and high-quality loan signings.

This is where you can play an integral part in helping us achieve future success.  As a fan owned club, we effectively dictate the level of ambition and quality of the squad by setting a significant chunk of the manager’s playing budget.

Being acutely aware of the rising cost of living, we know that making a financial commitment to the Club may not be possible at the level which you have invested previously.  It is important we look after ourselves and our families first and foremost.  However, if you are fortunate enough to be able to invest for the coming season, it will make a significant and material difference to the playing budget and the targets we hope to secure.  You can contribute any amount you like, no matter how large of small, just like previous years. 

Let’s build a sustainable future together!

Thank you, once again for your incredible support -- you can contribute to Boost the Budget here:

https://yourclub.darlingtonfc.co.uk/boost-the-budget-202324