THE man who co-ordinated the community takeover of Darlington FC has stood down, saying he leaves the club in good hands.

Club chairman Denis Pinnegar said fans owed project manager and director Craig McKenna a “debt of thanks”.

Mr McKenna began leading the community purchase of the club in March.

He was later appointed a director of Darlington FC 1883, the fans’ company set up to run the club.

He has resigned as a director and project manager, but will continue to help the club with media issues.

Mr McKenna, who runs business consultancy the Growth Academy, said: “It has been an interesting and very challenging period, but now is the right time for me to move on. The time commitment needed to do my role properly is just not viable for me.

“I haven’t charged the club any additional fees since we completed the purchase and I can’t continue to work on that basis.”

Mr McKenna said that the hardest part of the purchase was the restrictions on what he could tell fans at critical points.

He added: “I have experienced four of the most difficult days of my professional career in the past nine months, but the day in May when Harvey Madden announced that the club was not going to be closed will live with me for a long time and made it all worth the effort.”

Mr McKenna said that, with Mr Pinnegar as chairman, the club was in good hands “The whole board is well aware that outstanding financial management and continuous fundraising will be imperative for the club to regain anything like the levels the fans wish to see and steps are already being taken to ensure that both of these things happen.”

Mr Pinnegar said fans owed Mr McKenna a debt of thanks.

He said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Craig for the tremendous work he has done throughout the time he has been involved with Darlington Football Club.

“His involvement has been an invaluable element in achieving what we have to get ourselves successfully to the place we are today.”