Durham City in crisis: Ex-Newcastle United defender breaks silence after club resigns from Wearside League amid desperate decline and ‘England’s worst team' jibe

The decision was revealed in late-night posts via the Citizens Twitter account, which has now been renamed ’The supporters of Durham City AFC’ by Zenith Sports Event and Management, the Australian-based company that has ran the club for the last 11 months.

In tweets released just before midnight, the company confirmed they had ‘terminated its relationship’ with Bernard and gave a grim update on the situation.

They said: “It is with sadness that we must announce that we have advised @DurhamFA and the @WearsideLeague that we have withdrawn Durham City from all competitions effective immediately. @Zenith_SEM has terminated its relationship with Olivier Bernard, senior management have also resigned.

“A more detailed statement will come on Wednesday. Players have been released to join other clubs with immediate effect. We wish all the lads well, and have provided them with all the assistance possible.”

It is just under a decade since Bernard took control of the Citizens and immediately looked to ‘make Durham one of the best feeder teams in the North East’. His immediate aim was to forge likes with Sunderland, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough to look to develop young players within the non-league game.

However, a disagreement with the owners of their former New Ferens Park home led to a somewhat nomadic existence with Consett’s Belle View and Willington’s Hall Lane both hosting Citizens ‘home’ fixtures as the club slid down the non-league pyramid.

A new low was reached last season when Durham finished rock bottom of the Northern League Division Two table after winning just one of their 40 league games and conceding 196 goals in the process.

Ahead of their resignation, City sat bottom of the Wearside League Division One table after suffering defeats in all 13 of their league fixtures so far this season. They have scored just two goals and conceded 128, a record that has led to them being branded ‘England’s worst team’ across several media outlets in recent weeks.

Reflecting on the situation and assessing the club’s future, Bernard admitted he is ready to fight to keep the club alive and is looking to find a resolution ‘over the coming days’.

He told The Echo: “Last night the club parted company with Zenith because I wasn’t entirely sure what direction they were going. I had to do something but I didn’t put him in place. It didn’t work out, that is clear to see. He kept the login for Twitter, he won’t give it back. He’s doing everything to shut it down. Hopefully I can put it right by tomorrow.

"He has no right to shut the club down in this way. I don’t know how it works with the league because it looks as if the league has been told the club has folded. Hopefully, I can sort that issue over the coming days because we want the club to continue and we want to keep fighting.

“I will keep hold of it for now. I’ve got a couple of people interested but it’s all about the guidance of the club. People say they want it, but they don’t have an idea of what to do with it. We will keep it for the time being, we will see the support we get. People will understand the club has been running for a very long time and it needs people that care about it to take it forward.”

Bernard insisted he does still care about the welfare of the club, despite stepping back to focus on other business interest over the last two years. He has now called upon local authorities to help him find a new home within Durham to help City survive and alleviate concerns their over 100-year existence could be about to come to an end.

“The club needs help, if you don’t get help from the authorities it can’t progress. The club, to my understanding, will not give up, it is still running, but we all need to pull together to make it happen. It’s a community club that has existed for a long time and it’s not just about me, the manager, or one player or supporter that can keep that going. We all have to pull this together.”

“I still care about the club, I always cared but I put other people in place to run it because I had other business interests and that meant I had to focus on them for the time being. I didn’t put the Australian in place because I told them I had other interests and could dedicate the time to City like I used to. The previous committee found the Australian and they put him in place but then they told me they weren’t happy. The fact is since I left New Ferens Park we have had very little help to find a new ground. I don’t know exactly what is going on at the moment but I will be working to find out and make sure the club stays alive and moves forward.”

Durham’s decline has had a catastrophic impact on one of their old Northern League rivals after an unpaid debt of over £2,000 has caused financial concern for former landlords Willington - but Bernard has now confirmed to The Echo he has ‘spoken to the league and will pay this debt of the club’.

A Wearside League statement released on Tuesday morning confirmed they had received notification that the club had submitted their resignation: “The League can today confirmed it has received the resignation of Durham City AFC with immediate affect. This will be reported to the league committee and a fine in accordance with league rules will be levied.”

The Echo have contacted Zenith SEM for comment.