AFTER all that has happened to Darlington Football Club in recent years, there is only one way to rebuild trust – engage with the local community and ensure complete transparency at every step.

Today, shareholders will be issued with the Quakers'"Annual Review, Directors' Report and Financial Statements" document, which is a laudable attempt to be publicly clear about the club's financial status.

We welcome the report for its professionalism and congratulate chief executive Martin Jesper and his small team of volunteers who have guided the club through a particularly difficult period.

It would be going too far to say Darlington FC is in a stable financial position. Financial stability is rare at all levels of football, let alone in the lower echelons of the game, and the windfall resulting from former player Dan Burn's first-team appearances with Fulham at the start of 2014 came at a vital time.

Nevertheless, the outlook is certainly improving and today's financial report should provide comfort that the club is in capable hands. The club is doing well on the pitch and budgets are being carefully policed.

Of course, the reality is that the Quakers' long-term future is dependent on a return home to Darlington. The temporary move to Bishop Auckland was pragmatic but Darlington Football Club belongs in Darlington. The town has been poorer without its football club and the ground-share move with Darlington Rugby Club cannot come soon enough.

If final planning agreements can be ironed out between the borough council and the rugby club, Darlington FC is confident it will be ready to kick-off next season at Blackwell Meadows.

And that will be a proud day in the turbulent history of Darlington's football club.