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. The 35-year-old former Newcastle United winger has been training with Quakers for a month after leaving previous club Glentoran. 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. 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. 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, said Cooper. He's signed a one-month deal to start with and we'll take it from there. He's been training and constantly having to prove his worth and he's done that. Keith knows the game inside out and he will be a good influence around the place and, hopefully, help us keep the run going. Darlington become Gillespie's eighth club since leaving St James' Park in 1998. 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. Cooper added: He can play anywhere across the middle. 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. Keith's versatile and clever enough to play in different positions. 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. Meanwhile, York have requested 1,000 tickets for the FA Cup second round match at the Arena to be played a week tomorrow. The Minstermen beat Rotherham 3-0 in their first round replay on Wednesday. They expect to be followed by well in excess of 1,000, making the fixture Quakers' highest gate of the season so far. Darlington are advising fans to buy tickets in advance to avoid any delays on the day. 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. 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. Tickets are £15 adults, £10 concessions and £5 under-16s, and are available on general sale now. 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. Season ticket holders will only be able to buy their usual seats up to 5pm on Friday, November 26.