The team failed to achieve lift-off, Reynolds himself was ultimately lifted – in 2005, shortly after selling up at Darlo, he was jailed for tax evasion – and financial crisis followed. ( Log Out /  Darlington Mowden Park 28 Henley Hawks 30. Henley Hawks win a line-out against Darlington Mowden Park. The Arena was built by the Quakers' controversial former owner George Reynolds back in 2003 but quickly turned into something of a white elephant, his 'if you build it they will come' message not coming to fruition. They bought the ground and surrounding land with a view to creating the largest rugby-specific venue in the country outside of Twickenham. A beacon of optimism became a white elephant. Quickly spotting weakness in the home pack, the Hawks swooped for three unanswered pushover tries in the first half, leaving Park with too much to do. Change ).

Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Read about our approach to external linking. Built as a monument to the vaulting ambition of George Reynolds, it was intended to herald a new era for Darlington FC as the club moved away from its much-loved Feethams home in 2004 and embarked on a future marked by promotions, glory and the establishment of a powerhouse to rival the region’s traditional top clubs. Darlington Mowden Park facilities development director Dave Liddle has said the club can make their Arena move financially viable. Out of town, remote and unloved, the arena was too expensive for the club. The club have also bought 17 acres of adjoining land on which they intend to develop a multi-sports facility. The Quakers have been given the green light to start the new campaign at the Northern Echo Arena. The braggadocio, like the much-hyped signing of former Newcastle star Tino Asprilla, never worked out. A beacon of optimism became a white elephant. ( Log Out /  Action between Darlington Mowden Park (blue and white) and Henley Hawks. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. The Quakers have had their request to start their National League North campaign at the 25,000-seater stadium approved by the National League after putting a case forward that their current Blackwell Meadows home could not cater for fans with a reduced capacity and social distancing measures enforced owing to COVID-19. "It's not just the first-team, it's the 19 other teams from all age ranges from six onwards, and our thriving women's side.". ( Log Out /  The Darlington Arena is a white elephant with not enough fans to fill it at this level of football means the running costs run in the “tens of thousands” per week according to Raj Singh. Saturday's 62-7 victory against Bromsgrove was their first match at the new home since. A view of the Darlington Northern Echo Arena, which is home to Darlington Mowden Park Rugby Club, When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters.

The Quakers' financial crisis and subsequent administration before coming fan owned saw them forced to leave the Arena in 2012 for Bishop Auckland before moving to Blackwell Meadows four years later. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Mowden have enjoyed greater success here, even though their crowds struggle to reach four figures and tend to be dwarfed by their surroundings. On-field success is the surest way to grow attendances – 741 saw the Henley game – and turn the arena into a genuine asset for the team. It’s comfortable, if a little lacking in character, but unlike its more illustrious neighbours there hasn’t yet been a chance for any team to really establish themselves and stamp any kind of identity on the ground. Enter Darlington Mowden Park, a venerable rugby club formed in 1945. "We're confident with uses beyond sport we can make sufficient income for running costs and profits to develop. The second half was a big improvement for the home team as they demonstrated some running rugby to run in five tries but came up short in a 28-30 loss. Our. Owen Amos explains plans to return to something more modest. There has been a huge team effort over the last three weeks ever since we calculated that Blackwell Meadows would be unsafe and inadequate for our needs. "It's a big building but that brings opportunities," Liddle told BBC Tees. Colourful plans, colourful guy. The stadium's capacity is restricted to 10,000 because of access issues. The arena was opened in the summer of 2003, as the new home ground of Darlington F.C., following the decision to leave their previous ground, Feethams, after the 2002–03 season. The team has climbed up to National League 1, and in the 2015-16 season they did battle against some other famous old rugby names including Richmond, Blackheath and Rosslyn Park. Darlington's white elephant has turned into a cautionary tale. The 25,000-seater Arena had not been used since Darlington Football Club played their final fixture before effectively going out of business in April 2012.

White Cap makes it easy to purchase with simplified transactions, streamlined invoicing, online account access from any device, flexible credit limits and billing options, and standard net 30 terms - interest-free! Darlington's capacity at Blackwell Meadows, their home since 2016, had been reduced to 600 because of the guidelines brought in around the return of fans to football stadiums, and with 650 season ticket holders and average crowds of around 1,500 it meant that it was unworkable for the Quakers. explains more about how we use your data, and your rights.

Covenants with the planning authorities restricted what could be done there; 25,000 seats made it one of the biggest stadiums in the lower leagues but poor access roads meant a fixed capacity of 10,000. Last updated on 4 February 20134 February 2013.From the section Rugby Union. Which left a large stadium falling out of use. Henley had other ideas. You can unsubscribe at any time. “I would like to thank all those who have worked extremely hard together to bring this about.

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