Darlington FC and Darlington Rugby Club wish to update supporters following two recent floodlight issues. Both clubs are committed to working together to ensure Blackwell Meadows remains a safe and reliable venue for all who visit.

During our home match against Worksop Town on 4th November the lighting contactor in the base of a tower failed and the match continued safely with seven of the eight towers in operation. The issue was identified after the game and the contactor was replaced. The contactor in a different tower then failed during Tuesday night’s match against Peterborough Sports.

A contactor is a heavy duty electrical switch that controls the power to each floodlight tower. Although the floodlights were upgraded 18 months ago the contactors themselves are much older. Over time the internal switching components wear, especially in outdoor cabinets. Following inspection by Lytestream Electrical Engineers it became clear that several of the contactors had reached the end of their service life.

As a precaution Darlington Rugby Club has funded the full replacement of all remaining tower contactors, and this work has been completed ahead of our home fixture against Spennymoor Town this Saturday. Every tower was tested following the repairs and all lights are operating safely.

We would like to thank Eugene from Lytestream Electrical Engineers who attended immediately on Tuesday evening, located the fault and restored the lighting so the match could continue.

Lee Dodsworth, Head of Grounds at Darlington Rugby Club, said: “The LED upgrade 18 months ago has served both clubs well. The recent failures highlighted that some of the original tower components were now ageing. We carried out a full review with Lytestream and replacing the remaining contactors was the right step to ensure reliability going forward. Both clubs are working together on this and it shows the strength of the partnership at Blackwell Meadows.”

Darlington FC and Darlington Rugby Club remain fully committed to maintaining the ground to a high standard and delivering a safe and enjoyable matchday experience for everyone.