Darlington forced to close part of ground over structural concerns

Tyrone Barnett at Darlington last season

Darlington have been forced to close on part of their ground due to concerns raised by a structural engineer.

The club said that an inspection of the clubhouse balcony by a structural engineer found issues with the balustrade.

It means remedial work will have to be carried out and the club board has taken the decision to close the clubhouse balcony for matchdays until then.

They have been recommended by the structural engineer.

"We would like to apologise to our customers in hospitality for the inconvenience," the club said.

Only the matchday safety team, club cameraman and the PA system staff will be allowed on the balcony, the club added.

"We hope to resolve the situation as soon as possible," the statement added.