Source: Northern_Echo
Singh offers Davey a healthy budget
THE finances that Simon Davey will have at his disposal should ensure that Darlington stand a good chance of mounting a promotion challenge next season.[LNB] That is according to the club's managing director Graham Fordy, who also points out that chairman Raj Singh has provided one of the higher budgets within the division this season.[LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Previous managers Colin Todd and Steve Staunton were both unable to lift Quakers from the bottom of the table, so Davey's arrival yesterday probably comes too late to prevent the club sliding into the Blue Square Premier.[LNB] Should Darlington be in the BSP next season, Davey can expect to be handed a competitive budget with which to build a squad.[LNB] Quakers have already used an astonishing 51 players this season, with both previous managers allowed to build their own squads.[LNB] Without stating figures, Fordy said: One of the questions we asked potential managers we were talking to was what would they be expecting to have as a budget if they were managing Darlington in the Conference to make sure we challenge for promotion next year'.[LNB] The budget that they asked for has been delivered.[LNB] The chairman is not trying to get promotion on the worst budget in the Conference, he's trying to do it on one of the best, if not the best, budget in that division.[LNB] And, to be honest, the budget we had this year for League Two was towards the top six rather than the bottom six in the division.[LNB] The way the club came out of administration, the year we've had, things haven't worked.[LNB] We just have to accept what's happened and plan to ensure that we're only in the Conference for one season, get back into the Football League and progress from there.[LNB] Whereas Staunton's experience of football beneath the top two divisions was limited, Davey's playing career was largely spent in the lower divisions and Fordy says that was a key factor in the appointment.[LNB] It was very important that we got someone who had the experience to cope with whatever division we're in next season, whether it's League Two or the Blue Square Premier,[LNB] said Fordy.[LNB] I believe we've found that in Simon. The club has got the right structure and now it's all about the core product.[LNB] We said when we arrived last year that we were hoping to survive in League Two and then move on from there. If the Conference comes along then we want to get back into League Two but we wouldn't be happy with that, we'd want to progress up the league structure.[LNB] We've got the facilities to do it, we believe we've got the right manager and now it's a case of everybody working together to fulfil those ambitions.[LNB] A number of former Championship managers were interested in the post made available by Staunton's sacking.[LNB] Gary Johnson, Mark Cooper and Russell Slade were all in the frame. However, it is Davey who Quakers have opted for and his first game at the helm will be tomorrow's trip to Burton Albion.[LNB] Fordy added: We're very pleased with our appointment.[LNB] We spent a long time doing it, it wasn't one of those short-term things. It's taken virtually two weeks.[LNB] The chairman was determined to see all the candidates and now we are where we are and we believe Simon is the man to take us forward.[LNB] Hopefully, although for Simon this is an opportunity to see what is here and what is required, we will finish the season with a bit of a flourish.[LNB] It's hoped that we finish in positive style rather than just limping away.[LNB] We've got to close the season down in a way that shows next season is about winning games and winning promotion.[LNB]
