Source: Northern_Echo
Quakers face pitch inspections
Darlington have hardly played of late but their chances of returning to action hang in the balance as both their festive fixtures are under threat.[LNB] They are scheduled to host Fleetwood Town on Boxing Day before travelling to Gateshead on Tuesday.[LNB] Both games face pitch inspections with a referee due to make a decision on The Northern Echo Arena surface today.[LNB] Supporters may have to wait a little longer for Quakers' first competitive league game at Gateshead since 1960 as the International Stadium undergoes an inspection on the morning of the game.[LNB] Should Darlington, who have not played a league game since November 20, be unable to take to the field this Christmas, they will turn their attentions to the trip to Fleetwood on New Year's Day.[LNB] It is not only Darlington's fixtures that have been disrupted as their training schedule has also suffered greatly.[LNB] When heavy snow meant Mark Cooper's men had to abandon their usual training base at Houghall College they instead used the indoor facilities at Soccarena in Durham.[LNB] However, Chris Senior suffered medial knee ligament damage on Soccarena's artificial pitch, leaving Cooper to ponder where next to train during the cold snap.[LNB] He said: We've got a training schedule but it's all gone to pot with the weather. Where do we train[LNB] We've got a few problems with players who live further away getting in to train.[LNB] The players have their own programme for when they go to the gym because that's all they can do at the moment. We can't get them on grass or an artificial pitch.[LNB] We have lost Chris Senior for two or three months because of an artificial pitch.[LNB] We'd finished training, he went to fetch one of the balls and as he turned he twisted his knee so that's put us off using that.[LNB] It's a balancing act with the weather, the travelling and coming up with a venue.[LNB] They're due to train Christmas Eve, off Christmas Day, then play the game on Boxing Day.[LNB] But I think there's more snow to come so we'll have to play it by ear.[LNB] One plus point for Cooper, should the festive fixtures be postponed, is that at least the signings he intends to make during January would be available for the rearranged dates.[LNB] He said: We've got two or three lined up and it's just a case of getting them over the line.[LNB] Meanwhile, Darlington's home game with Kidderminster Harriers has been moved again because of Quakers' build-up of games in January.[LNB] The game will now be played on Tuesday, February 22 (7.45pm kickoff).[LNB] This is the second time it has been rearranged as it was originally set to have been played in December but was postponed because of a frozen pitch[LNB]
