Darlington FC.

A global pandemic, people dying, people losing jobs uncertain times that effect everybody in the World, unprecedented.

Yet they are still rattling buckets actually asking fans to buy virtual tickets for games that are postponed not just for home games but away as well. I have never been a fan of this fan owned model malarkey but they are more like registered charity than a football club these days. I reckon this one is step too far at the moment. Football is way down on list or priorities it’s cringeworthy to do this, financially they are clearly right on the seat of their pants like a lot of clubs and I’m aware it’s down to choice but if this was Pools begging it would piss me right off!!

It’s like a pub asking you to pay for the virtual pints you would have supped as you are Wednesday night regular at a time when everyone is in the same boat. Every penny raised for anything right now should be focused on nothing other than returning our lives back to normal.

just wondering how to have virtual sex as the normal type is unavailable due to shortages.

Don't entirely agree with you there PJ. Other desperate causes haven't gone away during Covid. Granted, football isn't one of them.

In hindsight I don’t entirely agree with myself (it was posted during the we’ll just have one glass stage of the evening) other desperate causes are still out there but I totally agree with the part that football isn’t even remotely close to one of them, it’s just like everything and everyone else that’s effected right now. Asking for money for non existent matches when season ticket holders will have already paid for those games is step too far they need to put the buckets away for a few weeks.

I can see the reason behind it PJ, i know you probs went a bit OTT so i wont go over the top, people in my industry are having to think outside the box to retain clients, sometimes you get people signing up just out of good will and paying money to try n keep a business going.

I've got a mate who runs a gym, i've signed up for membership to try n help him out.

I would encourage anyone at this time, if you have any spare dosh, n your jobs pretty secure, help out the local business if you can.

I've been ordering fruit n veg deliveries this week and got some butcher meat coming monday.

I get It and am 100% behind helping people and local businesses who need help right now.

But a part time football club were the players in a lot of cases are playing as a second job? Step too far me. A football club should be the hub of the community doing things to help vulnerable local people not begging off them. It’s wrong.

. A football club should be the hub of the community doing things to help vulnerable local people not begging off them. It’s wrong.[/quote]
totally agree. a real case of horse before cart if there ever was one.

Still think you are being a bit harsh on them.

Of course football clubs are way down the list of priorities, but they are still part of the local community, still have fans, people who rely on them etc

It's all about trying to come out of this moment as healthy as possible, if they can raise a few grand or whatever it'll help them get back on track.

If you compare everything in level of importance to a global pandemic then it's probably not that important but it might be to some.

Being self employed i can totally see why they are doing this.

They may employ a few staff who are having to go without, catering people, admin staff etc i dunno.

My brothers in a covers band, its his only source of income, so right now he's got no income at all, to some its a little duo who play in pubs n isnt really that important in the grand scheme of things, bit of background noise or light entertainment, but it's his life and job. He's having to do different things to come ticking over.

Slap and tickle?? . Been on the receiving end of a good few slaps and kicks this week.

totally agree. a real case of horse before cart if there ever was one.[/quote]

They are hardly begging off vulnerable local people, you make it sound like they are stood at pensioners doors shaking down for copper.

Asking people to donate £10-15 once a month, if they can afford it, is hardly tapping up the vulnerable.

They are hardly begging off vulnerable local people, you make it sound like they are stood at pensioners doors shaking down for copper.

Asking people to donate £10-15 once a month, if they can afford it, is hardly tapping up the vulnerable.[/quote]

I wouldn’t put pensioner shaking past the Loids.

I have heard they are planning on opening a sports direct club shop with a Wetherspoons Bar in it and all the staff are going to be slaves working for free. Swear down.

Just remember PJ, your club was a midgies dick away from being in a similar situation.
What we do for our club is up to us, we don't have a dodgepot chairman anymore to top things up to cover bills that still come in.
Yes there are more important things going on now but the club aren't holding a gun to anyones head saying you must donate.
If you are so bothered about it then better get on the phone to Raj and tell him the same so he doesn't put any more money in while everything is in limbo.

Fucking moron.

I wasn’t being entirely or at all serious in that post and have acknowledged I was pissed when I made the first one potty mouth. But I stand by my issue with it, I think it’s valid.

It’s up to people and the end the day what they spend their money on but I have been consistent on what I have said about fan owned clubs even when Pools being one was a realistic prospect, if you are having to constantly fundraise and constantly ask supporters for more money beyond the quite a lot they already spend it’s still in a way unsustainable and not a perfect model. I am sure plenty of your supporters feel what I did on reading this though, it’s poorly judged and a bit of a step too far. Football is way down the priority list at the moment. No clubs should be asking for money. If Raj felt he couldn’t put money in at this time I would understand everyone is the World is effected by this and the priority is preserving human life not sports clubs. It’s trivial in the grand scheme of things. You have the prospect of families who’s bread winner is self employed having no income until June and millions on zero hours contracts just getting cast aside. Sport will recover in time once the dust settles, I don’t want people going hungry.

That is a bit harsh. I can't imagine Darlington having huge coffers, let alone a supportive wealthy owner. Plus no one is forcing people to buy those tickets.

As for turning lives back to normal, wasn't watching a game on Saturday part of the normality?

This shit will kill clubs, no matter what history they have, Bury proved that. And in all honesty the FA has a big enough money backlog to pay for this shortfall, no matter how long it lasts.

PJPoolie
Post subject: Re: Coronavirus BlacklistPostPosted: Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:26 pm
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Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 6:28 pm
Posts: 15055
Darlington FC.

A global pandemic, people dying, people losing jobs uncertain times that effect everybody in the World, unprecedented.

Yet they are still rattling buckets actually asking fans to buy virtual tickets for games that are postponed not just for home games but away as well. I have never been a fan of this fan owned model malarkey but they are more like registered charity than a football club these days. I reckon this one is step too far at the moment. Football is way down on list or priorities it’s cringeworthy to do this, financially they are clearly right on the seat of their pants like a lot of clubs and I’m aware it’s down to choice but if this was Pools begging it would piss me right off!!

It’s like a pub asking you to pay for the virtual pints you would have supped as you are Wednesday night regular at a time when everyone is in the same boat. Every penny raised for anything right now should be focused on nothing other than returning our lives back to normal.


I'm a Darlo fan! I've registered on here specifically to reply to P.J.Poolie - who is obviously a cold hearted idiot.


The vast majority of Darlo fans like the model that the club now operates to.

We were left high and dry by the actions of Raj Singh, but now if we ever in the future get a dodgy Chairman (like you do now) we can vote him out, wouldn’t you like that PJ.?

DFC unlike HUFC haven’t sacked any employees re this awful crisis- HUFC were the first club in the Nationwide League to start placing their employees onto the scrap heap, make you feel proud PJ?

Not everyone will be effected financially by this crisis, I know people who will carry on working and earning as normal, some of these people may well give money in to help our club get by, they do this because they want to, anyway why the big concern from you PJ?

Furthermore as a Darlo fan I’ve never felt pressured into giving any money in to our club. I give what I can, when I can, in a way that I feel happy with. Darlo fans never compete in this way, some give more, some give less it matters not - the feeling around our club because of this is good. Is the feeling around HUFC this good PJ? You certainly haven’t been getting good press coverage, in the Nationals have you.

I’ve tried to be polite to you on this reply PJ however to be honest, your ill though out attack on our club inside this “blacklist” thread marks you out as a complete dickhead, and If your so concerned about this present crisis why don’t you spend your time doing something more productive than writing crap?

[quote="Infidel"]

Furthermore as a Darlo fan I’ve never felt pressured into giving any money in to our club. I give what I can, when I can, in a way that I feel happy with. Darlo fans never compete in this way, some give more, some give less it matters not - the feeling around our club because of this is good.
good on you and the rest i say. do not agree with fan ownership as it always puts fans into this situation when you have financial problems but thats another question. with the premier league growing out of all proportions i,ve slowly and slowly lost my dislike for darlo as there are much bigger fish i,d love to see fail and never be heard of again.

Quite a chomp that.

For what’s it’s worth I myself think my original post was a bit much, I tried to delete it the next day but being able to do that must have a time limit on it.

But I stand by my point that if you are donating to a football club at this then you have a strange list of priorities and I think asking people to buy virtual tickets is a step too far at a time of global crisis. I am sure some Darlo fans feels the same. That’s all, for record I don’t think you should be on the ‘black list’ though I still prefer you to Richard Branson.

I'm asking people to donate to my patreon to keep me going, and i know many others asking to donate to various causes, its all about whats important to you, what keeps you going, what your hobbies are.

I think you are way off on this one PJ.

PS https://www.patreon.com/user?u=32209789 ... nding=true

Well P.J. I stand by my point, if you are writing ill thought out nasty attacks on D.F.C and the fans of D.F.C "at a time of global crisis" "then you have a strange list of priorities"

Hypocrite.

Incidentally to other Pools fans reading this my beef is with the above named only.

PPS https://www.patreon.com/pekandwanley/posts

Exactly to keep you going to put food on your table to feed your kids! That is all that matters right now.

Sport is trivial in the grand scheme of things and football will survive this situation. Enough money needs to filter from the top to protect the pyramid below it shouldn’t be on fans who have bigger priorities.

Too some it is, to some its a release, something they want to look forward too when this is over.

It won’t go anywhere.

Welcome to the Bunker Infidel.
Just put the dessert ding on ignore mode.
Hopefully Pools n Darlo n the rest of non league football can survive this shit storm.
But I doubt it afta the way the FA behaved on Wednesday.

Anyway I'm goin into Bunker lock down for a while.
Stay safe all.
UTP.

I wonder if Infidel has a southern based cousin who lives in Tunbridge wells and is often disgusted?

Also what's the Nationwide League?

Oops, made a mistake there, National League - but to your point I am not often disgusted, just disgusted with what was written above by P.J Poolie.

I take it you read his initial post?

In the next couple of weeks the UK is facing the prospect of thousands of people dying every day.

But you are disgusted about someone who in the context of that doesn’t think Football is very important or a priority? Actually disgusted?

I politely suggest you get a grip.

Wow! You are correct - "In the next couple of weeks the UK is facing the prospect of thousands of people dying every day." However you started this unsavoury disagreement by using this fact to slag off DFC in a pathetic way, underhand way.

The owners of a football club putting money into their football club. How awful!

You are trying to change what you initially wrote above, you are trying to change the way that it's interpreted by the people who read it - you even tried to erase it - so you get a grip.


Here is a quote from our forum written about this -
Post by al_quaker » Sun Mar 29, 2020 11:24 am

"I'm sure, if owners putting money into football club to keep things going is such a bad thing, PJ Poolie will be encouraging Raj Singh not to put any money into Hartlepool over this period. Of course, this would mean Hartlepool go bust, but there we go."

I am not trying to change what I wrote I have acknowledged that it was over the top that’s why I wanted to remove the post. What more do you want me to say? I stand by my original point though just not how I put it across.

That’s all from me on this find something else to get hysterical about. We’re all a bit bored but I am sure we can find better things to do than this

Thats a bit rich considering it was you who was getting hysterical about Darlo fans putting money into their own club. You should find something better to do than post bollocks after you have had a shandy.

Oh,you meant it alright. And Friday's posts prove it..

https://www.darlofc.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... =3&t=38295 I guess you're famous now, eh PJ?

Not really, but I feel less guilty about my daft post when I see they were slagging us off before I made it. Plus I have already said if Raj felt he couldn’t fund Pools through this period I would totally understand. A virus that threatens to wipe out thousands of elderly people is obviously a concern for someone who’s main business interest is care homes. Football is trivial right now but enough money is floating around the top of the game to make sure it survives this. Fans have have other priorities and shouldn’t be asked to prop it up.

Interesting also I have just read a thread on the main board were they have fans saying very similar to what I did one even suggesting that virtual tickets in this period is a ‘step too far’ which was my entire point!! I didn’t see Loan Star and infidel’ responding the same as they did on here though which is odd........

[quote="PJPoolie"]

Exactly to keep you going to put food on your table to feed your kids! That is all that matters right now.

thats something we all strive to do. as usual some find it and always will find it harder to do than others. to denote for this and other causes which is of interest to you is never compulsory anyway. for the great majority life will go on as normal once this outbreak finishes and we should attempt not to put our lives on hold due to the present situation.

Erm I think we should attempt to put our lives on hold. That is exactly what we are being asked to do. The more we all comply the sooner this will be over.

probably should have said, make the best out of a bad job.

True it’s all we can do.

Cummings self isolating with symptoms now, my nana has always said if you have nothing kind to say don’t say anything at all so with that in mind here’s my reaction to this news;













.

Just like there are Pools fans who agree and disagree with you, not everyone has the same opinion. Like I said we aren't holding a gun to anyones head and they can opt out if they don't want to contribute. We aren't pensioner shaking as you put it.

Both clubs are going to do what they feel is necessary to survive.

For Pools having one owner controlling most of the shares means that Raj Singh can choose to keep the club running by adding extra to the controlled covering of losses that was already in place while Pools try to get back into the league. Sadly, like most business owners he's going to try to limit his costs over the period without income so some jobs have gone. Horrible situation but if this lasts six months, like some experts suggest it might, businesses that don't manage their costs will go under and all the jobs involved will go with them.

As a fan owned club Darlo have no real option but to try to raise cash however they can. In a way I admire the fact that they're trying to avoid job losses but in all honesty it looks like a lot like delaying the inevitable. Sometimes things like this are more to do with feeling like you tried than having any realistic chance of success.

Neither set of fans have any right to get on their high horse about the other club's actions - we're both potentially fucked for a reason that nobody in football saw coming.

We have no paid staff that aren't connected to the playing side of the club. All paid playing staff and team management have been furloughed and the club is topping up the extra 20%.
Pools will have far more paid staff and Singh has already got rid of some but PJ might like to know I actually defended that move over on Uncovered, as much as I can't stand the bloke.
For me there is nothing wrong with getting rid of seasonal staff that would be going anyway and furloughing the rest. Its business sense.

I couldn’t give shit I wasn’t the one calling people names really or reading your message board I barely have for 8 years it was something I read on the Echo website and reacted to, I have acknowledged about three times now that regret my original post but stand by my wider view. Far more important things are going on and similar puerile shit (which I am yet again acknowledging I was responsible for myself) appeared about Pools on uncovered before I said a posted a word or was aware of it

Oy! This is a coronavirus blacklist thread!!

Can't argue with any of that. Especially the last part.
I wish Darlo the best of luck and wish we were both back in the league with the cracking derby games and atmosphere. I don't hate Darlo but I want to beat them every time same with as much passion as they want to beat us. We are both football teams from similar backgrounds who support OUR home team through good and bad times and we have had plenty of the latter.

Thank you Hartleblue.

I've been a keen Darlo fan for a very long time however I am not born and bred in Darlington and do not feel any kind of animosity towards your town, your people or your football club. Also, as a Darlo fan I realise that we too have fans who do or say disagreeable things, that's just how it goes.

We all miss the derby games. The next one up will be quite an event.

at my age i hope we draw you in the cup or trophy as i doubt i,ll be around to see a football league game between us. my lads only 32 and could be the same for him.

I'd like a derby but it'd have to be at the Vic. The way Darlo reacted over that challenge cup game was like they were hosting the old firm.