Source: Northern_Echo
Cooper plotting a speedy return to the Football League
Darlington's failure to return to the Football League at the first time of asking is a disappointment to Mark Cooper, even though the history books suggest a promotion was always going to be unlikely.[LNB] The club's first year back in non-league football will see them finish just outside the play-off positions, no matter what the result in today's final league match at home to Rushden & Diamonds (ko 5.15pm).[LNB] Depending on today's results, Darlington will end the campaign between sixth and ninth, a ranking higher than most teams in recent years have managed during their first season after relegation from League Two.[LNB] The bulk of the clubs relegated from the Football League in the five seasons prior to Darlington's demotion finished no higher than tenth.[LNB] Luton, Oxford and Torquay were exceptions, achieving top-three positions, though none were promoted at their first attempt, which is what Quakers did in 1989-90.[LNB] Under Brian Little, Darlington won the Conference title in their first season after relegation - and that remains the last time a club managed the feat (Carlisle and Shrewsbury returned at the first attempt via the play-offs).[LNB] "I wanted to go up, you've got to think that way when you come to a big club and in this league Darlington are a big club," said Cooper.[LNB] "Darlington are the last team to do it, to go straight back up as champions. The average it takes teams is three or four years and this league is littered with former Football League clubs.[LNB] "York were right up there and blew it; Grimsby are staying down; there's no guarantee that Luton will get out. There's even one or two, such as Cambridge, that are in the bottom half.[LNB] "You've got no right to win promotion but you've got to compete financially. I don't think a club has ever been promoted on a shoestring budget.[LNB] "The chairman wants to have a go at it in the right way. We're not a Crawley or a Luton, but I think next year we will be able to compete financially."[LNB] Today's game, which has little riding on it as Rushden are 11th, is Darlington's last before they begin preparations for the FA Trophy against Mansfield Town.[LNB] The manager describes appearing at Wembley in the final match of his first season in charge as a bonus, though he regrets not arriving at the club sooner last summer.[LNB] He concedes that taking the reins shortly before the commencement of pre-season training has been a factor in Quakers falling short of the top five.[LNB] He was made manager in late June, by which stage previous manager Simon Davey had already brought in players and, by the time Cooper was appointed, many he might have targeted had gone elsewhere.[LNB] "It's difficult when you come in that late in the summer when there were a lot of players already here under contract," he said.[LNB] "If I had come to the club in May, when the majority of players were available and out of contract at other clubs, I think we would've done better.[LNB] "Instead, we were in a rush and had to get five or six players in during July.[LNB] "But we've won a little bit of pride back in certain parts of the season. There have been some good results as well as some awful results and we've got to Wembley, which is a little bit of a bonus for the fans.[LNB] "Getting to Wembley is a big thing and we're going to enjoy it, but we'll enjoy it even more if we win.[LNB] "It'll be a great day out for the fans and hopefully it will be a way of saying thank you for the backing. Hopefully they will come back next year and cheer us on to getting out of the league."[LNB] While Darlington are not getting out of the division this time around, Cooper has still taken an interest in the play-offs. The semi-finals, which start next week, see AFC Wimbleon play Fleetwood and Luton take on Wrexham, and Cooper said: "I want one of the money boys to go up, like Luton.[LNB] "If they don't go up, will they still be funded as they are now I think Fleetwood are a danger because they seem to have pots of money and blow other teams out of the water in terms of what they can offer in wages. If, say, there were two or three players that we are both after then they would get them."[LNB]