Hull City v Darlington

Two clubs that were looking to hit the heights of English football during the 2002-23 seasons, two unfashionable clubs aspiring to break through that barrier, the crumbling stadium relics of Hull City and Darlington FC to be rendered out with both clubs state of the art stadiums built to house 25,000 supporters, the all seater stadia to be the largest outside of the Premiership, two clubs from the North of England whose dreams were to be played out with disaster for one and earmarked success for the other.

Hull City’s state of the art stadium opened its doors for the start of the 2002-03 season with the aptly named Reynolds Darlington Arena became viable eight months later, both clubs playing out their dreams in the old third division and ironically as only football can provide Hull City’s last game at their crumbling Boothferry Park was v the Darlington losing out one to nil. What transpired with both clubs’ ambitions being harnessed was from one extreme to another.

Hull City for their part gained three promotions in five seasons gaining promotion to the Premiership in 2008, the Tiger’s stadium was packed to the rafters, the wonder ride lasted for two seasons in the Premiership before succumbing to relegation. Hull have since returned to the topflight and were relegated again in the 2014-15 season. Darlington in opposite mode imploded losing their football league status following on from two relegations and being dumped out of the Conference League, the Darlington Stadium was to become a white elephant, it transpired to become a travesty, a wrecker of a crash with owner George Reynolds at the wheel. To enter into the historical value of Reynolds would be of a vanilla splattered covering with dark undertones, Reynolds the riddler in the public domain, a crook, a saviour, a gangster, a hero, a villain. Reynolds described himself as a cross between Richard Branson, Brian Clough and the inmate Norma Fletcher from the Ronnie Barker series ‘Porridge’. George was a former safe cracker during his mid 20’s serving four years prison time, Reynolds unpicked locks and blasted safes for a living.

Reynolds later became a kitchen worktop tycoon who flaunted his private jet, helicopter, a fleet of cars, stately homes, a man of vanity and criminality. Darlington formed in 1883, left their previous home standing at 120 years, the ‘Feethams’, with all debts being written off, the dream was to achieve Premiership status within 5 years. The club hoped to attract 15,000 supporters which was in sharp contrast to the clubs Feetham attendances of 2000. The club continued to exist in the old third division having regained that status. The club became a desperate mess playing in an empty shell of a stadium, insanity prevailed. Reynolds lost his wealth, banned from being a club owner by the football association, leaving the Quakers with a 4 million pound debt. The club was left high and dry as Reynolds exited on administration with a second figure of a 20 million pound debt being bandied about.

A consortium group named as Stirling took control of the club, a company that offered high interest loans to clubs with Chesterfield, Barnsley and Cambridge United being placed with their loan de facto. Remarkably performances on the pitch improved with two 8^th placed finishes being posted. In 2006 the club was sold to a property tycoon named Hughton who had grand designs on the Championship, more fanciful fairy cakes. Three years transpired and rumour had it that Hughton was trying to buy Leeds United and Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, it became a never-ending ride of everything on the never, never, laced with despair and intrigue. In 2009, the club entered back into administration. Deputy chairman Raj Singh became the new owner, league status was lost and in 2012 administration reared its ugly head again with the Quakers wound up. Singh moved onto fresh pastures and is currently the owner of Hartlepool United.

A Phoenix from the ashes had developed and the re-named Darlington 1883 was birthed in the tier 9 of the pyramid system, the current ground is not of the required standard for the club to enter into the National League if promotion is gained. Now known as Darlington FC in the National League North, a fan owned club. George Reynolds for his sins was arrested in June 2004 for money laundering and tax evasion, serving time in prison. Reynolds passed away in 2021 aged 84, in a small Darlington flat. The Reynolds Stadium has had two name changes from the Northern Echo Arena, to the current occupants now known as Darlington Mowden Park Rugby Football Club. A tale of two clubs, glorification and the calamitous.

The Manero Brand

Into the Chester Manero brand, a further insight. Manero has written for three newspapers outside of the UK and has produced over one hundred, thirty-page programme sized sports editions to encapsulate fifteen different sports over a thirteen year writing span.

Manero has been themed as a visionary, a different opinion, a wider angled lens, into the mix goes humour and candidness. The Manero platform has the format to seek out all within the football umbrella whether good, bad or indifferent. Articles driven of historical value, coaching, tactics, individual stories that inspire, coverage on the pyramid system, world football, to seek out football’s fraudsters and much more, other sports on occasions will enter the Manero lens. A blog’s timespan can dissolve within two years, the Chester Manero brand enters into its seventh year ahead of the field, the driver is always strive for more, that’s the marker laid down, the Chester Manero brand.