A North East artist has been inspired to produce a painting of Darlington Football Club - and hopes to raise thousands of pounds towards the Trust Crisis Fund to help the Quakers survive.
Maaike Draper-Albers was at the recent all-star game in aid of the club at the Reynolds Arena, which attracted a record crowd for the stadium of 14,200.
Professional artist and football fan Maaike says she was so impressed with the efforts of fans and players, it led to her painting Darlo We Care
Now limited edition prints of the painting will be sold for £100 in aid of Darlington Supporters' Trust's Crisis Fund, which has set a target of £250,000 by the end of March.
Trust member Maaike, who moved to the town from her native Holland in the late 1980s, has also loaned the original of the painting to the club to go on public display at the stadium. It was presented to a delighted Darlo manager David Hodgson, in the presence of the Trust, on Friday at the Reynolds Arena. Her work, known for its bold and vibrant use of colour, has been exhibited across the North East and paintings have been sold all over Europe.
"I've always been a football fan and it has been a great pleasure for me to be allowed to portray football in Darlington," she said.
Trust spokesman Tony Taylor said: "It's a fabulous gesture by Maaike. It was a memorable day and an important one in securing the immediate future of the club and now that is captured vividly on canvas."
"We're sure there are fans out there who will want to buy a special memento, one which will help the fund - and one which could prove to be valuable in years to come!"
* Individually signed and numbered prints are available to buy via the Trust, costing £100 each (unframed), £125 (framed), limited to just 150.
These can be ordered by contacting - darlotrust@hotmail.com, or by writing to:
Trust Art, c/o 50 Newlands Road, Darlington DL3, making cheques available to "Darlington Supporters' Trust." - Mail order service available.
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