Source: Northern_Echo
Darlington sign former Newcastle winger
KEITH GILLESPIE is in line to make his Darlington debut tomorrow after signing a contract last night at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] The 35-year-old former Newcastle United winger has been training with Quakers for a month after leaving previous club Glentoran.[LNB] After impressing in training, manager Mark Cooper wanted to sign Gillespie weeks ago but his arrival was delayed due complications in transferring from the Irish Premiership.[LNB] But those issues have now been resolved and he will travel to the Racecourse Ground tomorrow as Darlington seek to extend their six-match unbeaten run.[LNB] Keith's a clever player, he can keep hold of the ball and create things and he's still got a little bit of pace, so it was a no-brainer for us to sign him,[LNB] said Cooper.[LNB] He's signed a one-month deal to start with and we'll take it from there.[LNB] He's been training and constantly having to prove his worth and he's done that.[LNB] Keith knows the game inside out and he will be a good influence around the place and, hopefully, help us keep the run going.[LNB] Darlington become Gillespie's eighth club since leaving St James' Park in 1998.[LNB] Those clubs have included Blackburn, Leicester, Charlton and Bradford where he played five games towards the end of the 2008-09 season, while he has made 86 appearances for Northern Ireland.[LNB] Cooper added: He can play anywhere across the middle.[LNB] At the moment we're playing a 4-3-2-1, he can play in any of the midfield positions, the three or the two.[LNB] Keith's versatile and clever enough to play in different positions.[LNB] I think the fact he moved back to Ireland is the reason a Football League club haven't signed him. But the contacts I have in Ireland I've done some coaching over there said good things about him so I'm glad we've managed to get him.[LNB] Meanwhile, York have requested 1,000 tickets for the FA Cup second round match at the Arena to be played a week tomorrow.[LNB] The Minstermen beat Rotherham 3-0 in their first round replay on Wednesday.[LNB] They expect to be followed by well in excess of 1,000, making the fixture Quakers' highest gate of the season so far.[LNB] Darlington are advising fans to buy tickets in advance to avoid any delays on the day.[LNB] General manager Phil Preston said: It should comfortably be the biggest crowd of the season up to now so we're strongly recommending supporters to buy their tickets in advance.[LNB] We have systems in place to cope with the demand, but if you can get your ticket before the day of the game you've got a better chance of not facing any delays getting in.[LNB] Tickets are £15 adults, £10 concessions and £5 under-16s, and are available on general sale now.[LNB] Fans can either get them from the ticket office next week (10am-3pm Monday-Friday) or from the Arena main reception during normal office hours, or by calling 01325 387007.[LNB] Season ticket holders will only be able to buy their usual seats up to 5pm on Friday, November 26.[LNB]
