Fordy maintains a positive outlook

23 September 2009 11:24
Darlington’S managing director Graham Fordy remains confident the club will soon enjoy a much-needed upturn in fortune. Bottom-of-the-table Quakers travel to Grimsby Town on Saturday looking to secure their first league win at the ninth attempt. Fordy is optimistic that Darlington will soon savour their maiden victory and said: “We’ve had a very difficult start. We all believe Colin Todd’s put together a very strong squad which includes some loan players and now a very experienced goalkeeper. “We’re waiting for the ball to run our way and we believe that that’s quite close to happening. “Grimsby are on nine points now and we’re on one so there’s an eight-point gap which is not too big at present. “We’ve got to make sure that gap does not increase, but I’ve got total confidence in us as long as everybody works together as a unit – that’s Colin, Dean Windass and the squad. “If you saw them in training you would see that the spirit is good and the belief is there.” With crowd numbers falling at The Northern Echo Arena, some supporters have called for a reduction in admission prices which stand at £16, or £18 on the day of the game. But Fordy, speaking last night on BBC Tees, defended the club’s pricing policy, saying: “We did a questionnaire and most people said they would like a cheaper admission price. But the cheaper the admission price, the less income comes into the club. “We’ve checked prices all around the division and we are competitive and less expensive than most. “People say ‘put the prices down to £5 and more people would come in than at £16’. But at £16 with 2,000 people coming in, how many more people do you need at £5 just to standstill? “Yes, the chairman has so much funds, but the people who run clubs are there to operate them and to hopefully make them become a viable operation.” Christine Balford will tomorrow become the second person to leave the club’s commercial department in recent weeks following the resignation of general manager Roland Richardson. Three weeks ago Richardson returned to former club Sunderland. Quakers plan to replace both. Meanwhile, Fordy says he hopes the club will have replica shirts available to buy in the first week of October.

Source: Northern_Echo