Source: Northern_Echo
Saturday Spotlight: Quakers trawling for a lifeline at Grimsby
Darlington languish at the bottom of the table having made their worst ever start to a season and look certain to be fighting a season-long battle with relegation. Assistant Sports Editor Craig Stoddart takes a look at Quakers plight.[LNB] ALONG with the likes of Bury, Lincoln, Macclesfield and Rochdale, Grimsby have become familiar foes to Darlington in recent years.[LNB] The seaport has become a reassuringly familiar stopping point during the travails of the last five seasons that may have all ended in disappointment, but Quakers have at least enjoyed their day trips to Grimsby.[LNB] Since being relegated to Darlingtons division although some call it the Rochdale division due to their 36-season tenancy the Mariners have lost all five of their home meetings with Quakers, and last years match provided one of the highlights of Darlingtons season.[LNB] The victory took Dave Penneys side to the top of the table. Jubilant visiting fans bragged of being top of the league, and they had been similarly entertained at the same venue almost exactly a year earlier thanks to a hugely impressive performance that justified a bigger scoreline than 4-0.[LNB] The three previous seasons had seen 1-0 victories Jason St Juste, Guylain Ndumbu- Nsungu and Tim Ryan the match-winners.[LNB] For Darlington, it seems its never grim in Grimsby.[LNB] So it is somewhat ironic that if they are to maintain their successful run at Blundell Park they must record their first league win of the season when they return to Cleethorpes today.[LNB] The current worst side in the Football League - played eight, lost seven are going to have to upset the odds.[LNB] The bookies say the chances of an away win are unlikely, pegging Quakers at 3/1, and Mr William Hill and co are rarely wrong, but surely even they could not have predicted just how poorly Darlington would begin the season the clubs worst ever start to a campaign.[LNB] Due to the effects of administration, nobody had set their sights too high. With only two players remaining from last season, most had accepted that, for the first time in six seasons, challenging for promotion was off the agenda.[LNB] But it has been disastrous, something manager Colin Todd readily admits, and few would disagree.[LNB] However, the run of results can hardly be described as surprising because of the circumstances Todd has had to deal with since being appointed in May.[LNB] The remnants of the team Penney built quickly disappeared, leaving only Ian Miller, Steve Foster plus a handful of former trainees.[LNB] With new chairman Raj Singh sensibly keen to keep costs low, Todds budget for players wages believed to be half that made available to Penney last season meant his scope was extremely limited.[LNB] Not only that, Todd was unable to offer contracts until Darlington left administration a week before the season began.[LNB] So any target also wanted elsewhere would invariably turn Todd down, leaving Darlington with, effectively, players nobody else wanted.[LNB] Essentially, building the squad has been a test of Todds contacts and his powers of persuasion the league table indicates he has hardly passed with flying colours.[LNB] But how many managers would have performed better in such circumstances[LNB] The first name he turned to in his little black book was Dean Windass, a striker he managed while at Bradford City. He arrived as player/assistant manager but his input has been disappointing.[LNB] The 40-year-old has shown only glimpses of the form that took him to the Premier League and his woeful penalty, that would have earned a late point versus Bury, just about sums up Darlingtons sorry season so far.[LNB] Todd has mainly confined him to the bench but Windass suggested after last weeks defeat to Bournemouth that he should have started, indicating that all may not be well between the management duo.[LNB] Among the 20 players Todd has recruited, including seven loans, Windass can be listed among those not considered a success, although there have been a handful of bright spots.[LNB] Tigerish midfielder Jamie Chandler, on loan from Sunderland, has impressed and, before being injured, midfielder Chris Lumsdon appeared to be a shrewd signing.[LNB] Young Matt Plummer may yet develop into a solid defender, while against Bournemouth last week two loan debutants caught the eye, winger Jamie Devitt and experienced goalkeeper Russell Hoult.[LNB] A signing of Hoults quality should have been high on the agenda when Todd first arrived at The Northern Echo Arena.[LNB] Throwing teenager David Knight, Mansfields reserve keeper last season, between the sticks always appeared to be a risky move. Not only did his CV make less than impressive reading, during a pre-season friendly with Sunderland he was at fault for a goal and that worrying trend continued until Hoult arrived.[LNB] The 36-year-old has joined from Notts County and last week he brought a reassurance to Darlingtons defence. With Kasper Schmeichel now Notts Countys No 1, hopefully Hoults stay can be extended, and the same could be said of Devitt. He did more in the first 20 minutes than Nathan Porritt did in a month.[LNB] After the completely ineffective Porritt was sent back to Middlesbrough, Devitt arrived from Hull last week and immediately showed some good touches.[LNB] But still Darlington fell to defeat and some supporters have had enough, with calls for Todd to go having been made, although a poll on The Northern Echos website this week said 70 per cent wanted him to remain. We may soon find out which camp Singh is in.[LNB] Quakers have lost all four away games and if Grimsby make it five on the bounce it would be difficult to see Todd remaining much longer.[LNB] A crucial factor in the likelihood, or otherwise, of Todds tenure continuing is that he was not Singhs appointment. He was given the job during Darlingtons stay in administration when previous chairman George Houghton still had some involvement.[LNB] How long will Singh keep faith with a manager he did not choose and who has not won any of the first eight league games The chairman has already suggested he is aware that changes may eventually become inevitable.[LNB] In his programme notes last weekend he said: When there are decisions to be made, on the playing side and the nonplaying side of the club, I will not be afraid to make them, when the time is right.[LNB] Although not specific to Todds position, Singhs comments could hardly have been aimed anywhere else.[LNB] He also talked of a cancer on this club which keeps dragging it down. Such startling comments grabbed attention, not only for their strong nature but also because the Teesside businessman has thus far maintained a low-key approach.[LNB] Wary due to the traumatic reigns of several recent chairman, supporters were relieved Singh refrained from appearing too frequently in the media, which suggests he is not motivated by a desire for publicity.[LNB] He is not another Houghton or George Reynolds, thankfully.[LNB] The publicity-shy chairman has instead chosen to use the match-day programme to air his views, but preaching to the converted will not convince the stay-away supporters to give Darlington another go.[LNB] Because if matters on the pitch are not enough to alarm Singh, then the continuing decline in attendances surely are.[LNB] They have dropped year on year ever since moving to Neasham Road in 2003, and they are now at the lowest level for a decade.[LNB] The 828 who turned up for a tie against Lincoln in the much-maligned Johnstones Paint Trophy made it Quakers third lowest gate of all-time.[LNB] There is not enough space in this newspaper for all the reasons people give for avoiding The Northern Echo Arena. The list is long and varied and nobody quite knows how to entice people back down Neasham Road.[LNB] One thing is certain, fewer and fewer are interested in supporting Darlington these days. After four home games the league average so far this season is 1,992. Only two years ago the average at this stage, albeit for a much better team, was 4,055.[LNB] All kinds of initiatives have been tried but if the people of the town and the surrounding area were not interested in seeing a winning team during the previous two seasons, they are not going to be keen on shelling out £18 to see the current side.[LNB] For the first home game after the club fell into administration last season, when Quakers appeared to need support more than ever, their cry for help went unanswered 400 fewer fans than attended the previous match turned up.[LNB] Yet Darlington stumbled through the crisis and thanks to Singh emerged from the wreckage of administration.[LNB] They are desperate for more support, but do not be surprised if the hardcore 1,800 or so are the only ones who show their support during a torrid season.[LNB] They keep on coming back for more, perhaps through blind faith more than anything else, but at least they still have a club to support.[LNB] Because there were occasions during administration that Darlingtons plight appeared so bleak that the clubs death became a very real prospect.[LNB] Some supporters even made initial preparations to form a new club at the bottom of the non-league circuit.[LNB] Thankfully it did not come to that, but perhaps that episode should be kept in mind when evaluating the clubs league position.[LNB] Against the backdrop of a financial crisis is how Darlingtons season should be judged next May, by which point Quakers will know where they stand League Two or the Blue Square Premier. Lets hope that the likes of Bury, Lincoln, Macclesfield, Rochdale and Grimsby will again be fixtures next season.[LNB] Over to you Mr Todd and Mr Singh.[LNB]
