HERITAGE PARK
EVO-STIK LEAGUE FIRST DIVISION NORTH
FEBRUARY 7, 2015
GROUND NO 165
WITH the being ground nestled between a Sainsbury's superstore and a Sainsbury's petrol station, I was tempted to produce my Nectar card at the turnstiles to see if I could get some points added to it when I paid my admission fee.
There was never a possibility of getting a discount on my next purchase of eggs, bread and chicken fillets, of course, although the notice at the entrance informed me I'd have got three quid off my admission had I been a season ticket holder at Boro, Newcastle or Sunderland. Nice gesture.
The place Darlington call home these days is Bishop Auckland FC's Heritage Park, a modern, out-of-town stadium on the edge of a bustling retail park, opened in October 2010, which finally ended Bishops' own personal Northern League groundhop that followed the closure of Kingsway, where they'd played from 1886 to 2001.
Before unrealistic visions of grandeur of a previous chairman had taken the Quakers to the soulless white elephant of the Darlington Arena, they had played at the perfectly adequate Feethams which, save for one side, was certainly good and smart enough for League football. Heritage Park, at which they have been tenants since their draconian relegation down the pyramid because of earlier financial woes, lies somewhere in between.
I'm glad I finally got here, having been denied two previously intended visits by the weather.
Heritage Park has a bit of a reputation for drainage issues but today was mild and bright, almost springlike. "It's nice to watch a game and not be frozen," remarked one fan. "It's nice just to watch a game," another quickly added.
Heritage Park has a bit of a reputation for drainage issues but today was mild and bright, almost springlike. "It's nice to watch a game and not be frozen," remarked one fan. "It's nice just to watch a game," another quickly added.
You can bank on Darlo getting the thick end of 1,000 through the gates on a match day (today's attendance was 959 and I only spotted two away fans) and their current home could easily accommodate more but - in stark contrast to the Arena - provides the right setting for a good atmosphere.
Darlo shouldn't be this far down the pyramid. They're paying the price for earlier problems but they are a club that's going places (literally as they recently announced plans to develop Darlington Rugby Club's stadium and move back to their home town) and clearly have the support, vision and determination to play at a much higher level.
The ground couldn't be easier to find and after walking up from a decent-sized car park, entry is gained through turnstiles either side of the 250-seat main stand (inside which is a bar that also houses the hospitality area and sells a most agreeable pint of Black Sheep).
To the right of the main stand are temporary seats, which were put in by the Quakers and will go when they do, and opposite is a modest grass bank. To the left is a covered terrace which - and the Quakers fans won't like this - reminds me of the Town End at Hartlepool.
After playing poorly and losing away to promotion rivals Salford the week before, Darlington got back on track with a thumping 5-0 win, having also rattled the woodwork three times and seen veteran Alan White somehow miss when it looked easier to score.
Without doubt, the only way is up for the Quakers
