My day at Darlington!

By Sam Heaney

It was an emotional day for me and I‘m sure many other people. When I was outside the ground, seeing the amount of voluntary people doing their bit to save Darlington helped me to realise just how serious the crisis at the club was. The buckets outside the ground, that were being used to collect money, with the ’Save Darlo’ label showed how desperate the surrounding area was and that every little bit of money they receive helps.
I had never been to the ground before. When I walked through the press doors and into the area it took my breath away! It would look comfortable at Championship level easily. I felt privileged to be at such an occasion. There was a brass band playing before the game which really added to the day and created a serious atmosphere with songs such as ‘The Great Escape.’
Early in the First half and then in the Second, a chorus of “Stand up, if you love Darlo” ringed around the ground .This was met by a huge reception and an applause from the spectators. The day was so much more than just about the match itself.
After the final whistle went, ‘You’ll never walk alone’ was played through the tannoy system which gave me a lump in the back of my throat as over 5000 fans stood up and showed their appreciation whilst both teams re-entered the changing rooms. The thought of them folding after the match was horrible. I hope something can be done to save Darlington Football Club.