A council has pledged to ensure all sports clubs in Darlington 'flourish without unnecessary hindrance' as the town's football team continue their hunt for a new permanent home.
On Monday, the Quakers confirmed they have ruled out a return to the Darlington Arena – and intend to reveal the location of their preferred site for a new stadium in the town before the end of the year.
The club has spent the last six years playing at Blackwell Meadows, having opted to groundshare with Darlington RFC after leaving their previous temporary home at Bishop Auckland.
However, they do not own the stadium, and have therefore decided that it does not make financial or practical sense to spend the money that would be required to improve Blackwell Meadows to the level that is required for admission back into the Football League.
The new stadium, which will allow capacity of between 5,000 and 8,000 fans, could be built in time for the 2025/26 season.
A number of potential sites in the town have been identified for the multi-million pound stadium, which will reach Football League standards, and include new training facilities which will be rented out to clubs, schools and the community to help provide a sustainable and regular income stream for the Quakers, which became fan-owned in 2012.
The plans, which the club hope will be partially backed by financial grants, will also allow for future expansion to the stadium as the Quakers continue their push to return the Football League following their relegation in 2010.
Read more: New home for Darlington Football Club will be 'vital for the good of the town'
Kevin Nicholson, Darlington Borough Council cabinet member for health and housing, confirmed the authority had held two meetings with club officials in the last year over a new home.
He added: "It is for the club to scope out and take this project forward and we look forward to receiving the detail in due course when the football club has completed its analysis.
"“I have attended a number of matches over recent years and have seen first-hand the passion and enthusiasm of both the executive and the fans, which is to be commended.
“The council is committed to supporting the diverse range of sports clubs we have across the town, and we will do all we can to engage with them all to ensure that they are able to flourish without unnecessary hindrance, as has often been the case in the past.”
Earlier this week, Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, said finding a permanent home for the club to meet its ambitions is "vital for the good of the town" and creating a state-of-the-art stadium to meet both the club and the community's needs is "the right way forward".
Read more: Darlington FC to leave Blackwell Meadows and move to new stadium
Darlington MP Peter Gibson added: "I understand the challenges they face as they seek to grow, and I firmly believe that they need a permanent home, built on a sustainable community-based model.
"I look forward to seeing their formal proposals coming forward and their engagement with the community of Darlington to ensure the proposals meet the needs of the club their supporters and the community of Darlington."
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