Quakers on the brink of breaking up

Apr 27 2009 The Journal

Darlington 1, Brentford 3

DARLINGTON fans saw their automatic promotion hopes disappear when the club went into administration – and on Saturday they probably saw the last of several players who gave them those hopes in the first place.

All of the first-team squad have continued to play for Quakers with hardly any pay for the last two months, and unless the club changes hands in the next few days, then the players can leave the club on free transfers. Chairman George Houghton is refusing to relinquish control – he wants the administrators to extend the offer deadline to May 12. So the crunch is approaching this week if the only person who is apparently interested in buying it, Teesside businessman Raj Singh, decides not to proceed.

The tension of the impasse has spread to the fans, who heckled Houghton during the first half of Saturday’s game. Some took their protest further by invading the boardroom at half-time, prompting the 69-year-old businessman to leave the ground without watching the rest of the game. It didn’t help when Billy Clarke, who was on loan to Quakers for the first four months of the season, scored twice for the Bees.

It was all uphill for Darlington from the second minute, when Alan White was red carded for elbowing Damien Spencer. And once Brentford skipper Alan Bennett fired his side into the lead on 36 minutes, it was damage limitation for Quakers’ boss Dave Penney.

Seven minutes later, Brentford’s promotion was secured, when Clarke glanced a free-kick into the net. It was game over just after half-time when Clarke fired into the bottom corner. Pawel Abbott pulled a goal back for Quakers.

“If the uncertainty over the club continues, then the players will be within their rights to walk away, and to be honest you can not blame them,” said Penney.

DARLINGTON: Kazimierczak, Purdie, Miller, White, Valentine, Poole (Griffin 80), Ravenhill, Kennedy, Burgmeier (Hulbert 85), Abbott, Main (Austin 36). Subs (not used): Groves, Pocklington.

Sent Off: White (2). Booked: Valentine, Abbott.

Goal: Abbott 59.

BRENTFORD: Hamer (Simon Brown 62), Halls, Bennett, Phillips, Dickson, Newton, Bean, Hunt, Wood (Poole 86), Spencer (Sam Williams 4), Clarke. Subs (not used): Osborne, Marvin Williams.

Booked: Phillips, Halls.

Goals: Bennett 35, Clarke 43, 54.

Referee: Rob Shoebridge (Derbyshire). Attendance: 3,868