Work is still ongoing at the 27,000 capacity stadium

Many of the 11,500 supporters who travelled to the first ever game at the Reynolds Arena on Saturday were held up in massive traffic queues on the A66.

As a result, the game kicked off quarter-of-an hour late.

The Quakers were beaten 2-0 by Kidderminster in the game.

Darlington chairman, George Reynolds, said he would do his best to iron out teething problems at the �25m stadium.

Traffic 'gridlock'

For the past four years, the Neasham Road Action Group has complained to Darlington Borough Council, over a series of issues, including parking provision at the Reynold's Stadium.

Jan Mazurk, of the group, told BBC News Online, it was "gridlock" in the area.

"It was absolute chaos for most of the afternoon. Fans were just parking wherever they liked.

"People were also parking on the A66 bypass and walking along the road with their families. It was ridiculous."

"We have been told there will not be a residents' parking area for eight weeks, which is just not good enough."

Some fans parked on the A66

A spokesman for Durham Police said they had received a number of complaints from local residents.

He said there would be a de-briefing on Thursday morning to discuss what had happened.

He added: "With it being the first game of the season the crowds were unusually large.

"It is not something we envisage happening on a regular basis.

"One problem, which was not foreseen from a traffic management point of view, was the opening of a field, charging people �4 to park.

"Again, that is not something we anticipate happening on a regular basis."

Road problems

Luke Raine, director of communications at Darlington FC, said the traffic problems were a black mark.

He said: "The road is obviously not capable of dealing with that volume of traffic.

"That will be addressed in the near future to the police and the local authority."

A spokesman for the borough council said: "The football club had not completed road improvement work, and not provided the shuttle bus service from the town centre to the ground.

"If they had done so we believe the traffic congestion would have had a lesser impact."

Only 11,000 seats were available at the 27,500 capacity stadium, because work is still going on.