THE first match at Darlington's new £20m stadium will not be played until the start of next football season, club chairman George Reynolds confirmed last night.
Mr Reynolds said work at the 25,000-seat Neasham Road stadium would be completed by the end of January. But he said a vote by players had come down in favour of staying at Feethams until the end of this season.
Mr Reynolds also revealed that the ground would celebrate Darlington's railway heritage by featuring an original Pullman carriage at the stadium site - complete with mock station platform - as a venue for families and football fans to enjoy drinks and meals.
The first seats will be put in place next week, and the block housing the reception area should be completed by early December.
"This has been a mammoth task for one man - it has never been done before in football history," said Mr Reynolds.
The club also revealed that they were considering the opening of a casino on the site in future, if planning permission and licences could be obtained.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article