As Tuesday night’s home game with Boston United is the first league game at Blackwell Meadows under floodlights this season, this is the right moment to update fans on the latest situation with the floodlight system.

As you will recall, there were issues last season in which games were briefly stopped because of floodlight failure, but with the help of various people and the understanding of the match officials and our opponents, were able to continue to a finish.

Near the end of last season, repairs were carried out which solved the problem for our remaining games, but the general consensus of opinion is that the current system is nearing the end of its useful life.

The football club has therefore consulted with our landlords, Darlington Rugby Club, and prepared a grant application for a new LED system, for which there will be a grant of 70 per cent. This application will be submitted to the Premier League LED Floodlight Fund in the near future, and we will keep everyone updated about its progress.

Going forward, we have asked Darlington Rugby Club – as we did last season – to thoroughly check the floodlights at least one day before their scheduled use, and carry out any necessary bulb replacements /repairs so then they satisfy the standards set by the league for match use.

We would like to thank everybody for their understanding and support.