Foster and Miller stay with Quakers

Jun 23 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

Todd has also made contact with both Sunderland and Middlesbrough with a view to brokering some loan signings before the start of the season.

With the majority of last season’s squad having departed because of the financial crisis that engulfed the club, the Darlington boss needed to make swift progress on the recruitment front.

He has managed to tie up several as yet unnamed new recruits while also holding on to Miller (pictured below) and club captain Foster (left).

Todd confirmed: “Miller and Foster will stay next season. It’s good news for us. Steve’s a good leader and a good skipper and someone that we need at this football club. Ian is a good player as well so they are good people to have on board.

“I sat down with them last week and told them we had players coming in, that the squad is taking shape and that there are reasons to be quietly confident now.

“We’ve had to be sensible but there’s a good mix there now and those two can play a big part in it.”

Todd added that the exits of Burgmeier and Abbott were “inevitable”.

Burgmeier has signed for FC Vaduz in his homeland of Liechtenstein while Abbott is attracting interest from Hearts and Oldham Athletic, managed by former Quakers boss Dave Penney.

“They were out of contract so they were always going,” Todd admitted. “I think it would have been impossible for us to keep them on the wages they were on.

“Things are still tight and it was probably in all of our interests that they moved on.”