The National League North side admitted finding a new location is an “incredibly complex process” and has faced multiple setbacks since revealing an ambition to move in 2022.
It was initially planned to be built in time for the 2024-25 season, but the project has been repeatedly delayed.
Club bosses hope to deliver a sustainable sports facility for the town, but warned it must be financially viable and not jeopardise the long-term future of the club.
A potential move back to Darlington Arena in its current form has been ruled out.
David Johnston, chief executive, told fans at the end of last season that the club was closing in on an agreement, but has since been hampered by delays. He said: “This is an incredibly complex process involving many stakeholders and is therefore extremely time consuming and unfortunately very slow moving.
“We were very close to having an agreement that may have satisfied everyone involved but new requirements have emerged that have ultimately slowed things down even more.”
Board members remain committed to finding a long-term permanent home to secure the future of the club and are in talks with stakeholders about several other locations.
It follows Darlington Mowden Park RFC outlining its ambition to partner with other Tees Valley sports clubs to develop the Darlington Arena site in the future. It is understood that potential future uses of the site include creating a multi-use sports facility combined with housing.
“We have been discussing several options for the arena site, as well as other locations, but what we as a board are very clear on is that we cannot envisage a move back to the Darlington Arena in its current form,” Mr Johnston added.
When announcing its intention to leave Blackwell Meadows in 2022, Darlington FC said it hoped to build a new site with additional sports, retail, and hospitality facilities.
Mr Johnston added: “The aim is to deliver a sustainable sports facility for the town, that hopefully will meet the needs of as many stakeholders as possible, but we will not enter any proposal that could jeopardise the long-term future of the football club.
“We will continue to work with multiple parties on various locations and update fans as soon as we are able to make information available. The board of DFC is committed to finding a long-term permanent home to secure the future of our club, and in doing so to realise our ambition of returning to the EFL over time.”
