£2.50 >> THE MATCH DAY PROGRAMME OF DARLINGTON FOOTBALL CLUB VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE NORTH DARLINGTON V TAMWORTH SATURDAY 18TH NOVEMBER 2017 | KICK OFF 3.00PM | BLACKWELL MEADOWS Official Benchwear and NATIONAL Match Ball Sponsor LEAGUE “FOR FANS, FOR FOOTBALL, FOR EVER” from the dugout V TAMWORTH >> WITH TOMMY WRIGHT Directors Chief Executive Officer: David Johnston John Tempest Darlington 1883 Supporters Society Good afternoon and welcome back to Blackwell Limited Meadows for today’s Vanarama National League North Football fixture versus one of my former clubs, Tamworth. Manager: Tommy Wright Assistant manager: Alan White I have good memories from my time at the club and have Kit Manager: Gary Smith a great relationship and respect for the management duo Goalkeeping coach: Lee Barrass Andy Morrell and Mike Fowler. Physiotherapist: Dave Breckon Darlington Football Club Officials DARLINGTON’S PREMIER LEISURE SCHEME The squad contains some of my former players, as well Club Secretary: Jonathan Jowett as a former Quaker and FA Trophy winner Aman Verma. Matchday secretary: Rob Jones It will be great to see some familiar faces but I will be Communications and Media manager: hoping they don’t enjoy their visit! Ray Simpson Last time out on home soil we failed to live up to Safety Officer: Graham Reeves Accounts: Malcolm Davison expectations not only from you as supporters but even Hospitality: Joanne Cameron more so from ourselves. I will be reminding the players Retail Manager: Lynn Jasper of that this afternoon. We let ourselves down with Boardroom Host: Colin Ward the manner of the defeat albeit to a very good side in Match Officials Host: Terry Farley MBE Brackley but we know we must correct that if we are to Photographers: Nick Burton reach our goals. Media/Video: Kevin Luff Media/Fans’ Radio: Andrew Simpson Last weekend was a big improvement away at To contact the club, send an email to Kidderminster. There were positives but again still room [email protected] for improvement. I was particularly pleased with the [email protected] character the lads showed with the fightback. A big [email protected] Website: darlingtonfootballclub.co.uk mention must go to the travelling fans who I thought were fantastic and deserved something to go home Programme Team cheering about. Ray Simpson (editor), Craig Stoddart, We have freshened up the squad with the arrivals of Josh Simon Weatherill, Lynn Jasper, Chris Sykes, Steve Rees, Kevin Luff, Neil Raper, Heaton, Luke Trotman and Greg Mills. I would love you to Peter Haygarth, Frank Tweddle, Joanne give them a great reception today, you have always made Cameron, John Tempest, Simon Hahn, me feel ten feet tall, and they were sold because of you Andrew Alton, Rob Jones, and Leigh Edwards the supporters, so don’t let me down! I would like to thank you for all your questions in the week Darlington 1883 Ltd. is a company limited by share, registered in England and Wales with company with the netcafe, I enjoyed answering your questions and number 07914690. I can assure you I will always be as open and honest as I Registered office: Blackwell Meadows, Grange Road, Darlington, County Durham DL1 5NR possibly can be. I’m sure you will all be looking forward to next Friday’s FA Accountants: Total Tax Solutions Trophy game against our local rivals Harrogate Town. I’ve 2 Peel Court, St. Cuthberts Way Darlington, Co Durham, DL1 1GB always loved games under the lights and I’m hoping you Designed by: KINSHIP, turn out in your numbers to kick start the ‘march to the www.designbykinship.co.uk arch’. Printed by: MT Print, Darlington www.mtprint.co.uk Make some noise again today please and get behind the This page is sponsored by PROUD TO SPONSOR lads. DARLINGTON FC Tommy SATURDAY 18TH NOVEMBER 2017 > 3 “FOR FANS, FOR FOOTBALL, FOR EVER” Building the For all your vehicle leasing needs, we’ve got you covered. future together >> BY DAVID JOHNSTON Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the game. VANS There has been plenty of transfer activity and clearing our debts on schedule by the recently, with players coming and going. end of the season, are greatly reduced. Adam Bartlett and Mark Beck have both It’s vitally important that fans rally around CARS moved on to pastures new and we wish the club and encourage others to come them all the best at their new clubs except along as we enter a promising new era for when they’re playing us, of course. We under Tommy, if last Saturday’s fightback at PICKUP TRUCKS have also received compensation from York Kidderminster is anything to go by. City and Harrogate Town respectively for Tommy showed that he is prepared to their services. change formation and tactics if necessary, INSURANCE When Tommy and Alan took over, the and the players showed how strong their directors told them that we would back character is by coming back from 3-1 down them financially in the transfer market as far to gain a draw. If the game had gone on as the budget will allow and at the time of much longer, then I suspect that they writing, we are pleased to welcome talented would have scored a winner. Everyone was trio Josh Heaton, Luke Trotman and Greg buzzing afterwards in the changing room Mills to the club. and hopefully it is performances like that, Tommy and Alan are still assessing the coupled with victories, that encourage fans squad and I’m sure they’ve learned quite a to keep coming back. It really is important bit about the players, but it takes time to that everyone buys into the principles that improve the squad as there are so many we are using to run the club. people and factors involved. Naturally, a At the time of writing these notes, I intend O�icial spo�sors of the new manager wants to freshen his squad to attend the DFCSG’s Annual General to give everyone concerned a lift and if the Meeting on Thursday night and I am looking comments I’ve seen and heard this week are forward to working with the newly-elected anything to go by, then he appears to have board members as we plan for a successful succeeded in lifting the fans. and sustainable future. It’s very important financially that as many Finally, I would like to welcome the officials fans as possible come through the turnstiles and players from Tamworth, and hope that to watch us play at home. The club’s budget they have a safe journey home. was calculated last summer based on Call us on 01442 838 195 or visit vanarama.co.uk increased admission prices and an average David gate of around 1,800. At the moment, unfortunately, we are around 250 below that figure on average, plus our last two home gates have been below 1,300. The running CARS INSURANCE FROM VANARAMA DIRECT costs for the club – such as wages, training facilities and transport -- are all fixed for the vanarama.co.uk/cars vanaramainsurance.co.uk pickuptrucksdirect.co.uk season, so if our revenue isn’t on target, then Autorama UK Ltd, Maylands Avenue, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 7DE who also trades as Vanarama, Vanarama Cars, Vanarama Insurance the chances of the club being run at a profit Services and Pickup Trucks Direct are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Our FCA Register number is 482841. As a FCA regulated credit broker we can introduce you to a select group of lenders, details of these lenders are available on request. All products are subject to credit acceptance. Our VAT number is 842814720. Please note calls may be monitored or recorded. SATURDAY 18TH NOVEMBER 2017 > 5 WWW.DARLINGTONFOOTBALLCLUB.CO.UK “FOR FANS, FOR FOOTBALL, FOR EVER” Coming to Blackwell Meadows today... Tamworth Tamworth are the visitors to Blackwell Meadows today, and TAMWORTH 2017/18 STATS LAST MATCH – TAMWORTH 1 Simon Hahn has been doing some research on them. • Have yet to draw at home from their SALFORD CITY 2 nine games, five wins and four defeats Despite taking the lead, The Lambs fell Welcome back Aman! • Won one of the last eight matches in to defeat at home to the league leaders We’d like to welcome back midfielder Aman Verma, who all competitions Salford City. Tamworth had the better of played a big part in our run to the FA trophy final at Wembley the early exchanges and Darryl Knights • Reece Styche is their top scorer with in 2011. hit the top of the crossbar with a long ten goals, joint third in the league Aman joined us in November 2010 on loan from Leicester City, range strike inside the opening five and made 34 appearances for us over the rest of that season, • Gone on to win five of the six games minutes. Despite the visitors coming back and played in every game in that Trophy run, making a big they have been leading at half time into the game, Tamworth took the lead contribution with his goals. • Only been involved in four league after 26 minutes through former Quaker He scored seven times for us, three of them in the Trophy – in matches out of 17 which have had less Aman Verma, Ben Fox crossed and Verma the 3-2 home win over Tamworth in the first round, (in front than three goals headed home from close range. of a crowd of 432!), 4-1 home win over Bath City in the second However, the lead last only four minutes, round, and the 3-0 away win at Telford United in the third as Mark Shelton struck a long range free round.