Pools Offer Fund Raising Friendly To Darlo

24 January 2012, 06:33 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Hartlepool United have offered to play a fund-raising friendly against Darlington FC.

Pools want the game to go ahead at the start of February - with all proceeds going to their struggling neighbours

Chief Executive Russ Green has revealed that Pools made an approach to their local rivals last week.

The Club have asked about the possibility of staging a game at The Northern Echo Arena from which the Quakers can keep all of the revenue.

Green said:
"We'd be delighted to send a team over there and play a friendly to hopefully help them raise some funds.

Clearly we have a great rivalry on the pitch with Darlington but I think that rivalry is healthy in sport so there is no way we want to see them struggling or going out of business.

We just thought it would be a nice gesture to offer to send a squad over there and hopefully the game will attract a good crowd.

We're just hoping it's possible that we can organise something if they think it will help so we're waiting to hear back from them.

Football is a big family and we have to stick together, especially when it's a local club so we will do anything we can to help."

Green also revealed that Pools had offered to allow some fringe players to join Darlington on loan before the Conference ruled that this would not be allowed.

And the Club also offered to send groundstaff to the Arena on Friday when it emerged that the Quakers had some trouble with their mower ahead of the game with Fleetwood.