Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics

Following the departures of Adriano Moke & Hayden Lindley, Darlington have scope to bring in one, possibly two, centre midfielders over the summer.

The below will consider targets that could become available to the Quakers this summer, taking in to consideration the ‘3 A principles’: ability, availability & affordability.

In addition, targets have been identified based on which qualities & attributes could be added to the squad in order to compliment the existing personnel of Tom Platt, Will Hatfield & Ben Liddle. Targets have been split in to two different categories based on their profiles:

The ‘6’ Controllers:

Following the departure of Hayden Lindley, Darlington only have one ‘controlling’ midfielder in the squad: Tom Platt, with Will Hatfield & Ben Liddle adopting more attacking responsibility further up the pitch.

3 targets have been identified below that would add depth & versatility to the squad in the holding midfielder role:

Option 1: Sam Fielding (Spennymoor Town):

Sam Fielding has struggled for minutes at Spennymoor Town this season, playing just 38% of available league minutes since his switch from Bradford Park Avenue in the summer of 2023. Good quality midfielders like Matty Dolan & Callum Ross have kept him out of the side and, as a result, Fielding joined NPL side Hyde United on loan in March for the remainder of the 23/24 season.

However, as proven by his time at BPA during the 22/23 season, Fielding is a good quality midfielder at this level in his own right.

The 6’2 centre midfielder is best deployed sitting as a holding midfielder, with the added versatility of being able to play centre-back or full-back if required.

During the 22/23 season, Fielding ranked in the top third of NLN centre midfielders for defensive duels won (64.84%), aerial duels won (51.55%) & interceptions per 90 (7.26), all of which are key attributes required for a holding midfielder at NLN level.

Fielding is also a very effective progressive passer of the ball, ranking in the top third of NLN centre midfielders for progressive passes per 90 (10.25) & accurate progressive passes per 90 (70.07%).

Fielding is also known to current manager Steve Watson, who signed the former Salford player in the summer of 2021 for his York City side.

Only 25, out of contract in the summer and with scope to improve, Fielding would add depth & versatility to the Quakers’ central midfield.

Option 2: Elliott Forbes (Blyth Spartans):

Elliott Forbes joined Blyth Spartans on loan from Gateshead in August 2023, before making the move to Croft Park permanent in January 2024 upon expiration of his contract at the Gateshead International Stadium.

The 24-year old has made 40 league appearances for Spartans this season, scoring 1 goal & registering 3 assists from a holding midfield role. Forbes has also filled in at centre-back when required.

Forbes ranks within the top 30% of NLN centre midfielders for defensive duels won (67.65%), successful pass completion (78.78%) & within the top 50% of NLN centre midfielders for successful defensive actions per 90 (8.96) & accurate forward pass completion (62.69%).

At just 24, out of contract in the summer & with the potential to improve further, Forbes would add depth to the defensive aspect of the Quakers’ midfield.

Option 3: Paddy McLaughlin (York City):

Paddy McLaughlin is out of contract at York City this summer.

Although the 33-year old has made 41 appearances for York this season, a significant proportion of these appearances have been made from the bench.

McLaughin is effective in both progressing the ball from midfield (62.8% forward pass completion) & in defensive duels (66.2% success rate).

As McLaughin has aged slightly, he has dropped a little deeper in midfield to a holding role and – on occasions – has played left-back. However, during York City’s 21/22 NLN campaign, McLaughlin was deployed slightly more advanced in a LCM role, registering 5 goals and 2 assists in 3,391 minutes.

McLaughlin is also known to Steve Watson; Watson signed McLaughlin from Hartlepool for his York City side in January 2019 and he worked with the midfielder up to the manager’s departure from the LNER Stadium in November 2021.

At 33, out of contract this summer and known to manager Steve Watson, McLaughlin would offer the Quakers a significant amount of experience and some versatility heading in to the 24/25 campaign.

The ‘8’ & ’10’ Attackers:

The first half of this article has focused on defensive-minded players that would compete for the holding-midfield role with Tom Platt, or offer the Quakers the opportunity to play with two-holding midfielders in situations that require a more defensive approach.

Following the departure of Adriano Moke, the second half of this article will focus on centre midfielders that would offer Darlington more of a threat going forward in terms of goal-scoring & creative threat:

Option 1: Will McGowan (Blyth Spartans):

Will McGowan made my 23/24 ‘Top 10 NLN Players to Keep an Eye On’ article back in August 2023, and the former Doncaster-youth player has delivered this season, scoring 6 goals & registering 7 assists from midfield at Croft Park since his summer move from South Shields.

McGowan has played a range of midfield roles for Blyth this season: he has been deployed as a holding midfielder, box-to-box, as a creative number ’10’ or out-wide. This makes direct comparisons to other players very difficult, due to the varying nature of positions McGowan has taken up.

However, what stands out with Will McGowan is his ability to offer both a goal-scoring & creative threat from whichever position he is deployed in. As mentioned above, McGowan has scored 6 goals & registered 7 assists this season from midfield.

McGowan is also an effective dribbler of the ball, completing 52.2% of his dribbles, and – as a result – draws fouls from the opposition that gets his Blyth side up the pitch and set-pieces in dangerous areas.

McGowan is also a very effective passer of the ball, with a 85.4% pass completion rate, which is excellent given how advanced he is deployed up the pitch.

Despite being small in stature, McGowan is also effective defensively in a deeper role, winning 61.4% of his defensive duels.

Only 21, offering versatility in a number of positions, effective in ball-carrying, drawing fouls, creating and goal-scoring from midfield, Will McGowan is one that the Quakers should be all in for this summer.

Option 2: Lirak Hasani (Gateshead FC):

Lirak Hasani’s contract with Gateshead expires this summer.

The 21-year old started the 23/24 season on loan at South Shields, before being recalled by Gateshead in January 2024. Hasani made 5 appearances at the GIS before then joining Blyth Spartans on loan in March 2024.

Hasani has made 29 appearances at NLN level between South Shields & Gateshead, largely operating in an advanced LCM role. During these appearances, Hasani has registered 2 goals & 2 assists, which is a good return considering his limited minutes (2,158) spent on the pitch.

Across these minutes, Hasani accrued an Expected Assists figure (xA) of 3.81, indicating that he has created more chances than his actual assists figure of just 2 suggests.

Hasani is also an effective passer, successfully completing 81.8% of his passes, which – like Will McGowan – is impressive given how advanced he plays up the pitch. Hasani also completes 66.7% of his dribbles, also proving that he is effective in carrying the ball.

Only 21, able to offer a modest goal-scoring threat & a very good creative-threat, Hasani would represent a good opportunity for the Quakers this summer to add attacking & creative depth to their ranks in the centre of the pitch.

Option 3: Olly Dyson (York City):

Darlington were strongly rumoured to have been close to signing Olly Dyson on loan from York City in January 2024, before the 24-year old opted to join Scarborough Athletic.

Dyson is known to manager Steve Watson, who signed him for his York City side in September 2020.

During his 1,189 minutes on the Yorkshire coast, Dyson has scored 1 goal and accrued an xA figure of 1.63, demonstrating his creative ability. This is more impressive when you consider that a significant proportion of his minutes have been spent at right-back and not in his best advanced-midfield role.

Dyson is under contract at the LNER Stadium until 2025, however the fact that York City permitted his loan switch to the Flamingo Land Stadium in January and then agreed to a further extension in February suggests that Dyson may become available again following the expiration of his loan deal at Scarborough.

Goalkeeper: George Sykes-Kenworthy (Bradford Park Avenue):

I know what you are thinking: George Sykes-Kenworthy isn’t a National League North goalkeeper, and you are correct.

But, he will be soon, if not playing at a higher standard.

Sykes-Kenworthy is only 23, and he saved his Bradford Park Avenue side, on average, 0.20 goals per 90 across the 2022/2023 campaign, sitting in the top 15% of goalkeepers for this metric.

Sykes-Kenworthy is also an effective sweeper-keeper, exiting the penalty box 2.62 times per 90, which sits in the top 10% of NLN goalkeepers.

Despite facing a significant volume of shots per 90 (4.47) & a very high Expected Goals Against figure of 1.50 xGA per 90, Sykes-Kenworthy was still able to boast an above average save percentage stat of 70.89%.

In addition, Sykes-Kenworthy is also proficient in the commanding of his area on a regular basis at 0.99 aerial duels per 90 (sitting within the top 15% of NLN goalkeepers) and does so successfully at an above average completion rate (91.49%).

At just 23, Sykes-Kenworthy has plenty of time to improve his goalkeeping skills & he will certainly not be playing Northern Premier League football for long.

Right Back: Keenan Quansah (Southport FC):

Not many full-backs are as defensively solid as Keenan Quansah who plays for Southport.

Quansah sits within the top 15% of National League full-backs for:

Successful Defensive Actions per 90 (11.11)

Defensive Duels Won (69.39%)

Aerial Duels Won (62.14%)

Possession Adjusted Interceptions per 90 (8.86)

Whilst Quansah is not the strongest of full-backs for creating chances, he offers Southport huge defensive solidity. Signed from Stalybridge in June 2022, and having just turned 26, Quansah will be hoping to have a big impact this season and continue his career trajectory upwards.

Centre Back: Ben Pollock (Spennymoor Town):

During the summer, Spennymoor Town added centre-back Ben Pollock to their ranks, with the 25-year old signing on a free transfer from Boston United.

Pollock sits above your average National League North centre-back in the following areas:

Successful Defensive Actions per 90 (10.04)

Defensive Duels Won (70.61%)

Aerial Duels Won (58.20%)

Possession Adjusted Interceptions per 90 (8.07)

Progressive Passes per 90 (8.30) & Accurate Progressive Pass Completion (63.27%).

This data is impressive as Pollock is largely competing with centre-backs that are much more experienced than the 25-year old, who are currently sitting within their peak years. Pollock is certainly an upgrade on the outgoing Joe Tait.

Centre Midfield: Will McGowan (Blyth Spartans)

Blyth Spartans have recently re-signed Will McGowan from South Shields, with the 20-year old enjoying a successful loan spell at Croft Park during the 21/22 season.

McGowan sits within the top third of National League North central midfielders for:

Successful Defensive Actions per 90 (9.18)

Defensive Duels per 90 (8.13)

Successful Attacking Actions per 90 (2.15)

Offensive Duels per 90 (9.15)

Progressive Passes per 90 (7.43) & Accurate Progressive Pass Completion (71.49%)

McGowan posses the rare ability to be effective in the triad of defence, attack & progressive passing.

At just 20, McGowan is close to reaching the defensive volume levels of the likes of Tom Platt, Alex Purver & Curtis Weston. Pending another successful season at Croft Park, McGowan has huge potential to move up the ladder.

Centre Midfield: Ben Liddle (Darlington FC):

Ben Liddle offers a unique & genuine goal-scoring & creative threat from the centre of the pitch for Darlington.

Liddle sits within the top 15% of National League North central midfielders for:

Expected Goals per 90 (0.15)

Accurate Progressive Pass Completion (76.77%)

Accurate Through Pass Completion (66.67%)

Passes in to the Penalty Area per 90 (2.96)

Key Passes per 90 (0.48)

Assists per 90 (0.21)

Liddle only played 1,702 minutes for Darlington last season out of a possible 4,140. The big test this season will be Liddle extrapolating his excellent performances across what will surely be more minutes for the 24-year old. A big season is coming up for the former Middlesbrough trainee.

Centre Midfielder: Sam Fielding (Spennymoor Town):

I have previously discussed Sam Fielding in previous ‘Sensible Transfers’ editions for the Quakers.

Fielding is somewhat of a deep lying tempo-setter. At just 24-year old, Fielding sits within the top third of National League North centre midfielders for:

Successful Defensive Actions per 90 (9.34)

Aerial Duels Won (51.55%)

Possession Adjusted Interceptions per 90 (7.26)

Successful Dribbles (69.44%)

Passes in to Final Third per 90 (11.01)

Through Passes per 90 (1.17)

Progressive Passes per 90 (10.25) & Progressive Pass Completion (70.07%)

Fielding, who has recently played for Salford City & York City, will offer Spennymoor Town an aerial presence within the middle of the pitch, with the passing qualities similar to that of Phil Turnbull.

Right Winger: Luca Colville (Scarborough Athletic)

Losing Kieran Glynn to Fylde was a blow for the Seadogs, but one player who could replace the creative void left behind 24-year old Luca Colville.

Colville is brilliantly creative, and sits within the top 5% of NLN wingers for Expected Assists per 90 (0.23) & Secondary Assists per 90 (0.19), demonstrating effective creative play in attacking build-up.

Within the 21/22 season, Colville scored 5 goals from an xG of 2.78. This is quite an overperformance, which is a positive in the sense that it demonstrates clinical finishing, however Scarborough fans will be wanting to see Colville get himself in more promising shooting positions next season.

Left Winger: Carlton Ubaezuono (Chorley FC):

Ubaezuono has big boots to fill replacing Jonathan Ustabasi on the left hand-side for Chorley next season, with the Turk choosing to join AFC Fylde over the summer.

However, the 25-year old – impressively – managed to consistently fashion chances for himself in a poor Farsley Celtic side that narrowly avoided relegation, generating an xG of 0.23 per 90, well above the average of 0.14.

Ubaezuono scored 5 goals from an xG metric of 6.33 in just 2,499 minutes last season. Whilst this underperformance is disappointing for the South African, if he can sharpen his finishing skills, there is no reason why Ubaezuono can’t score double figures for Chorley next season and replace Ustabasi’s goal-scoring threat.

Centre-Forward: Lewis McNall (Blyth Spartans):

Lewis McNall enjoyed a fantastic start to the 22/23 season with Blyth Spartans.

The 24-year old scored 4 goals in just 664 minutes of action, before a serious knee injury cruelly curtailed his season.

McNall also scored 6 goals in just 1,370 minutes for Blyth during the 21/22 season, before – again – his campaign was cut short with injury.

The quality is clearly there for the Newcastle United Academy graduate. McNall has scored 10 non-penalty goals in little over 2,000 league minutes. The biggest question is whether McNall can recover from two serious knee injuries and perform to his potential once he returns for the Spartans next season.

Centre-Forward: Ethan Freemantle (Gloucester City)

Ethan Freemantle has moved on loan to Gloucester City from Kidderminster Harriers on an initial 3-month basis.

The 23-year old scored 6 goals in just 1,573 minutes for the Harriers last season, demonstrating that when Freemantle was given his chance, he found the net.

Freemantle scored 6 goals from an xG of 5.87, demonstrating that his 6 goals scored were no coincidence, Freemantle was consistently able to get himself in goal scoring positions as a centre-forward.

However, it is not just his goal-scoring prowess that catches the eye. Freemantle is effective in defensive duels, winning 68.33% of his duels. Freemantle is also a keen & successful dribbler of the ball, carrying out & successfully completing above average dribbles per 90.

The 2021-2022 season.

The first season since 2018-2019 not impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

There were full crowds.

And no (questionably) distributed grant funding by the National League to massage the Profit & Loss accounts of member clubs.

Most financial set of accounts for 21/22 were released at the end of February/March 2023, as most accounting periods for clubs ended on 31 May or 30 June 2022.

However, a number of clubs applied to extend the usual 9 month period they have to file their accounts within, such as York City, Yeovil Town & Solihull Moors.

These accounts should paint a fairer reflection of the state of National League clubs’ finances compared to recent seasons (19/20 & 20/21) given those seasons were impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic that comprised of reduced crowds, grant funding, the furlough scheme, Sport England/Bounce Back loans and partially completed seasons.

And paint a fairer reflection they do indeed:

• Total losses across the 3 leagues have accumulated £20.2 million.
• These losses of £20.2m are spread across just 39 clubs, compared to profits of just £1m spread across 12 clubs.
• 62% of clubs are trading insolvent with liabilities (debt) greater than assets.
• 7% of clubs haven’t filed their accounts on time with Companies House.
• NLS clubs are fairing – financially – better than NLN clubs, with 44% of NLS clubs making a profit in 21/22, compared to 19% of NLN clubs.

It is important to note that the above figures are based on 51 out the 68 National League clubs’ set of accounts, equivalent to 75% of all clubs. There are a further 5 sets of accounts over-due with Companies House (Southend United, AFC Fylde, Farsley Celtic, Ebbsfleet United & Oxford City) with another 12 set of accounts due to be filed, 10 of which should be by the end of June 2023.

During the 21/22 season, 4 out of the National League’s top 7 that year (Stockport County, Wrexham, Notts County & Grimsby) made total losses of £10.4m, demonstrating the sheer amount of finance required to be competitive at the top-end of the National League.

It also shows the complete desperation of some clubs to achieve the promised land of the Football League, where the disparity of levels of funding is estimated to be anywhere between £750k – £1.5 million per season through increased broadcasting funding, league distribution, increased Academy funding & increased attendances.

Halifax Town were the only club in the top 7 during 21/22 to make a profit, (a modest £52k), whilst the accounts of Solihull Moors & Chesterfield are still to be released.

Given the Moors & the Spireites made losses of £1.1m & £2.3m respectively in 20/21, then it is difficult to envisage a scenario where both clubs reduce the levels of losses made by the top 7.

In is indeed telling, that 90% of National League clubs (17/19) made a financial loss in 21/22.

Rather interestingly, there is quite a disparity between the financial health of National League North & National League South clubs. 81% of NLN clubs made a loss in 21/22, compared to 56% in the NLS.

These losses were also – on average – 18% less than those sustained in the NLN.

One hypothesis for this could be the increased amount of travelling expenses clubs in the National League North are having to incur, with the boundaries ever-increasingly shifting south.

After all, Bath to Eastbourne is a lot different than Blyth to Bishop Stortford:

Map of all National League North sides (21/22):

Map of all National League South sides (21/22):

So, what are the National League Board doing about the significant amount of cash being haemorrhaged from steps 5 & 6 of the fabled English footballing pyramid?

The answer – not very much.

The Premier League & EFL have introduced spending caps relative to turnover in the form of Financial Fair Play (FFP) & Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) to limit frivolous spending & club owner’s financing clubs with interest-bearing loans, secured against the assets of the football club.

Indeed, ‘finance’ is only referenced 3 times in the National League handbook, which is a 39-page document outlining the rules of the competition.

FFP and SCMP are not perfect, but they at least offer a clear and consistent financial framework that football clubs must operate under.

Until this is addressed at National League level, there will be more unsustainable spending, winding-up petitions issued by HMRC, deadlines missed with Companies House & clubs predominately dependent on the success of their owner’s core business, rather than its own performance as a single entity.

The National League Board has – once again – found itself waning.

On the 29th May, Toby Lees became Darlington’s third signing of the summer, with the centre-back turning down a new contract at Blyth Spartans for next season.

The 26-year old centre half, who has amassed 120+ appearances at National League North level with Harrogate Town, Boston United, Gateshead & Blyth, helped the Spartans keep 23 clean sheets in 78 league appearances during his time on the Northumberland Coast.

So what type of centre back are the Quakers getting?

Firstly, Lees exclusively operates as a centre-back, specifically the RCB position:

The data shows that Lees is effective in winning defensive duels, sitting within the top 20% of National League North centre-backs in this metric:

The data also proves Lees to be effective distributing the ball out from defence, registering above average metrics for accurate forward pass completion, accurate long pass completion & accurate progressive passing completion (which Lees also sits within the top 20% centre-backs for).

Standing at 6’1, Lees wins slightly below average aerial duels compared to other National League North centre-backs.

However, Lees is above average for successful defensive actions p90 minutes & possession adjusted interceptions p90 minutes as seen below:

Quakers fans will note Lees’ above average attempts to play passes in to the final third & progressive passes through the pitch, which is he is effective at as per the first graph.

With Jassem Sukar potentially partnering Lees in the LCB position, this may allow the Quakers to build more progressive attacks from centre back on both sides, as opposed to just the left-side:

And……

In summary, the Quakers have obtained a centre back that is effective in defensive duels, interceptions and playing the ball out from the back. The addition of Lees in the RCB role should allow for more progressive attacks/passes to develop from the right-side of defence.

At 26, Lees is entering his peak years as a centre back, meaning there is plenty room for development over the coming seasons with the Quakers.

Darlington’s first signing of the summer is Tom Platt on a free transfer from Boston United, with the 29-year old opting to join the Quakers after being unable to agree new terms with the Pilgrims as they move to a hybrid training model in 23/24.

The below will take a data-driven look at the centre midfielder, analysing whether Platt is an adequate replacement for the man he is replacing – Alex Purver, in addition to a comparison against other centre midfielders in the National League North.

Tom Platt’s heat-map at Boston United during the 22/23 season:

This is very similar to Alex Purver’s, also during the 22/23 season:

Both players operate predominately in the centre of the pitch, rarely furrowing forward, so it should come as no surprise that between the 7,499 minutes shared between both players, only 2 goals were scored & 1 assist registered.

However, it should be noted that getting forward and supporting the attack is not Platt’s game, nor is it Purver’s. Both players are defensively-minded, protecting the back four through interceptions, engaging in duels & attempting to win headers.

To fully appreciate and understand Platt’s style of play, you have to delve-deeper beyond goals & assists, and look at key defensive metrics across the National League North:

As you can see from the above, Platt is well above your median (average) National League North central midfielder for successful defensive actions p90 (sitting in the top 2% of central midfielders in this metric) & engaging in defensive duels p90. He also scores high for successful interceptions (5.63) per 90 minutes – this is within the top 10% of central midfielders at NLN level.

However, don’t be expecting serious progression with the ball, or mazy runs from the centre of this pitch, with Platt ranking below average for progressive passes p90 & dribbles p90.

One significant positive which Platt will bring this Darlington side is additional height. Standing at 6’1, Platt wins above average aerial duels in his position and sits within the top 12% of central midfielders for this metric as seen below:

During 22/23, Platt also won 69% of his defensive duels, this is also above average and sits within the top 10% of central midfielders in this metric at this level.

Replacing Alex Purver could have proved to have been a very difficult task for manager Alun Armstrong. Being able to break up play & disrupting the opposition effectively are difficult qualities to find, however with the signing of Tom Platt, the Quakers appear to have secured a more than adequate replacement for the departing 26-year old with an added bonus of an increased aerial presence in the centre of the pitch.

Darlington have lost their most creative outlet in Jack Lambert this summer.

The Middlesbrough-trainee played over 6,400 minutes for the Quakers across two separate spells, scoring 26 goals and registering 18 assists.

Nobody should begrudge Lambert for moving on in to full-time football. At just 24, out of contract and with two full seasons under his belt, Lambert is ideally positioned to go out & attempt to carve a lengthy career in the professional game.

Lambert’s departure, alongside the uncertainty over the future of Jarrett Rivers (who has been offered a deal to stay with the Quakers), leaves space open for 1, possibly 2, wingers to join the club over the summer.

The below will review which left-wingers the Quakers could conceivably attempt to sign over the coming weeks to bolster their ranks. These players have been identified based on their ability, affordability, location and full/part-time status in order to give a realistic outlook.

Option 1: Brad Dockerty (Bradford Park Avenue)

Brad Dockerty is out of contract this summer.

The 26-year old has scored 18 goals in 96 appearances at National League North level for Bradford Park Avenue.

Barnsley-born Dockerty is quick, both-footed & has a very good return of 0.25 goals p90. His signing would be a direct replacement for Lambert on the left-side of a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3.

With Bradford Park Avenue’s relegation to the NPL confirmed, plus Alun Armstrong’s record of developing forwards, Dockerty could be tempted by a move to the Quakers this summer.

Option 2: Nathan Thomas (York City)

Nathan Thomas originally signed for Darlington in 2013, making 7 appearances & scoring 0 goals.

Based on those 7 appearances, few could have predicted his rise up to League Two Hartlepool United, and then up to Sheffield United in the Championship.

Thomas has made 189 appearances in the Football League, scoring 28 goals in the process.

Thomas signed for York City in October 2022, but has struggled for game time, only accruing 496 minutes during the 22/23 season.

A left-winger, still only 28, out of contract this summer & based in Stockton, it would be a surprise if Darlington were not interested in Thomas this summer should his return to York City this pre-season not work out.

Option 3: Dom McHale (Gloucester City)

Dom McHale is available on a free transfer after leaving Gloucester City at the end of the season.

McHale’s name may be familiar with Darlington fans. He joined the Quakers in March 2022, however the winger/attacking midfielder only played 50 minutes of football before being released at the end of the season.

The 26-year old has enjoyed an impressive season at the Tigers, scoring 12 goals in just 2,294 minutes (0.47 goals p90).

Whilst location may be an issue for the Manchester-based forward, the possibility of the Quakers signing McHale should not be ruled out given he has previously signed for the club before, in addition to his assumed travelling last season to Gloucester.

Option 4: Tom Allan (Gateshead FC)

Tom Allan is still trying to find his feet after being released from Academy football.

Allan was released by Newcastle United last summer and immediately signed for Gateshead.

The 23-year old winger, capable on playing on the right or left, struggled for opportunities on Tyneside, playing just 313 minutes before joining Spennymoor Town on loan in late-September.

Allan made 11 league appearances for Spennymoor, scoring 1 goal, before being recalled by Gateshead in March.

Allan is still contracted for the 23/24 season with Gateshead, and Spennymoor may once more be interested in another loan move. However, Allan may also be of interest for the Quakers this summer.

Option 5: Kevin Hayes (Stockton Town)

One wildcard option on this list is Stockton Town winger Kevin Hayes.

Currently playing in the NPL Division One East for Stockton Town, the 24-year old has enjoyed a very good season, scoring 14 goals & registering 7 assists in 43 appearances as Stockton narrowly missed out on promotion.

Spennymoor originally took a gamble on the left-winger ahead of the 18/19 season, however opportunities were scarce, with Hayes only registering 4 minutes of game-time before returning to the Anchors, although it is worth noting that Hayes was only 19 at the time.

With another 100+ appearances and 60+ goals scored at Stockton since a move to Spennymoor that did not work out, Hayes may be ready for another shot at the National League North.

Option 6: Donald Chimalilo (Marske United)

Like Hayes, another wildcard option on this list is Marske United winger Donald Chimalilo.

Chimalilo was part of the same Tadcaster Albion side as Erico Sousa & Kevin Dos Santos, scoring 8 goals in the 19/20 season.

The 22-year old has scored 4 goals in a struggling Marske United side in the NPL last season.

It is important to note that Chimalilo is not the finished article. He has just turned 22 and has finally spent one full season at a club in several years, after short-term spells at Guiseley & Scarborough.

Chimalilo is quick and operates on the left wing. As one Marske United player put it, “Donald is very exciting, he can win games himself, we just need to get the ball to him a lot more”.

Whilst Chimalilo may not be ready for an immediate place in the Quakers’ starting 11, he is one to watch in the future.

Unlike previous Sensible Transfer editions, there is at least some certainty over the centre-back position at the Quakers, with Jake Lawlor & Jassem Sukar contracted at Blackwell Meadows for the 23/24 season.

However, with David Wheater being released upon the expiration of his contract & Jake Cooper returning to parent-club Altrincham following a modestly successful loan spell, the Quakers could do with adding at least one more centre half to their ranks for the upcoming season.

The below will review which centre-backs Darlington could conceivably attempt to sign over the coming weeks to bolster their ranks. These players have been identified based on their ability, affordability, location and full/part-time status in order to give a realistic outlook.

Option 1: Toby Lees (Blyth Spartans)

Toby Lees impressed for Blyth against Darlington back in April at Croft Park, where the central defender picked up the Man of the Match Award in an eventful 0-0 draw.

Lees is available on a free transfer this summer, having had to depart Blyth Spartans due to work commitments.

The 26-year old has made over 130 appearances at various National League North sides, include Blyth, where he made 78 league appearances, racking up 23 clean sheets in the process.

Lees, who is Harrogate-based, won the 21/22 Green Army Player of Year Award at the Northumberland side.

Option 2: Jude Swailes (Dunston UTS)

Jude Swailes is a product of Newcastle United’s youth academy.

Son of non-league stalwart Chris Swailes, who has recently departed as manager of Dunston, Jude rejected a two-year contract at Newcastle United in the summer of 2021 to travel to America, where he played for Charleston College in South Carolina.

The 21-year old has impressed with a string of impressive performances at Dunston last season and is now possibly available following Swailes Sr’s departure from the UTS stadium.

At 21, Swailes is not the finished article, however he could represent a solid addition as a third/fourth choice centre half at the Quakers.

Option 3: Jake Cooper (Altrincham FC)

Whilst Jake Cooper was listed under the retained section for Altrincham this summer, it was unclear whether the Manchester-club offered Cooper a new contract extension, or if Cooper was already under contract for 23/24.

Should it be the latter, then it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Cooper is – once again – available on loan given his struggles to establish himself as a starter with the Robins.

The 22-year old has already made 24 appearances for the Quakers in all competitions across two different loan spells, keeping 6 clean sheets in the process.

Ones to Watch:

Whilst the following players are not available this summer, it is worth tracking their development in 23/24 as they could become available in the future:

Lewis Ritson (Whitby Town):

Lewis Ritson is rumoured to have piqued the interested of manager Alun Armstrong before an ACL injury kept him side-lined for the last 18 months.

Ritson is a product of Hull City’s Academy, captaining the Under-23 side, before enjoying a loan spell at Blyth & signing for Whitby Town in September 2020.

The 24-year old, who originally heralds from South Shields, returned from his ACL injury towards the back-end of the 22/23 season, making 5 appearances.

Should the centre half enjoy a successful season at the Turnbull Ground in 23/24, then he could well be on the Quaker’s shortlist for 24/25.

Daniel Rowe (Whitby Town):

Daniel Rowe is currently club captain of Whitby Town, where he has just been named Players Player of the Season for 22/23.

The 27-year old, from Middlesbrough, has made 134 appearances at Whitby Town over a four-season spell with the Seasiders.

Rowe made 47 appearances for Wycombe in the Football League, whilst also enjoying spells in the National League with Stalybridge, Barrow, York City & Boston United.

Rowe signed a contract extension with Whitby back in March to extend his stay until the end of the 23/24 season when, as it stands, he will be available on a free transfer.

Finn Cousin-Dawson (Bradford City):

Cousin-Dawson made 36 National League North appearances it two different loan spells with Spennymoor Town & Blyth Spartans last season.

The 20-year also also represented Northern Ireland at Under 21 level and is capable of playing at centre-back and right-back.

Cousin-Dawson, who is originally from Stockton-on-Tees, has a contract with Bradford City until summer 2024, however his development & availability is one to watch over the coming season.