 The arena as pictured in 2009 | |
 | |
| Location | Darlington, England |
|---|---|
| Owner | Darlington Mowden Park |
| Capacity | 25,500[1][2][3] |
| Field size | 110 by 74 yards (101 m × 68 m) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 2003 |
| Construction cost | £18 million[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Darlington F.C. (2003–2012) Darlington Mowden Park R.F.C. (2012–) | |
The Darlington Arena is a rugby union stadium, located in Darlington, County Durham.
The arena was opened in the summer of 2003, as the new home ground of Darlington F.C., following the decision to leave their previous ground, Feethams, after the 2002–03 season. With a seating capacity of 25,000, the arena rarely attracted large crowds, with the usual attendance being around 2,000. The cost of the arena caused the club to go into administration three times. Eventually, the club decided to leave the arena after nine years following the 2011–12 season.
In December 2012, after rumours that the arena could be closed down and be replaced with different reported purposes, rugby union team, Darlington Mowden Park RFC purchased the arena for £2 million; the owner of the club later stated that he believed that the arena could lead to much more success for the club.[4]
- ^ "Darlington". The Football League. Archived from the original on 23 March 2010.
- ^ Ward Hadaway for Darlington Football Club (May 2007). "Planning Statement" (PDF). Darlington Borough Council. p. 18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011.
- ^ a b "The Darlington Arena, former home to Darlington". Football Ground Map. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
DMPwas invoked but never defined (see the help page).