Darlington joint managers Brian Atkinson and Sean Gregan are eagerly looking forward to their first training session on Tuesday night.

The pair, who were appointed as joint managers until the end of the season, will speak to the players as a group for the first time tonight at the Eastbourne training ground following the departure of previous boss Martin Gray to York City.

“Everything happened quickly at the weekend, but Sean and I had a good chat with the directors on Sunday morning, and we’ve agreed on the way forward,” said Brian. “The directors were very positive and gave us plenty of encouragement.

“I think Martin’s departure has been a shock to everyone, but it’s up to Sean and me now to get the players focused on Saturday’s home game with Stockport County.

“The first thing we’ll do will be to sit down with the players as a group, and talk about our ideas on how we’ll go about things. We’ll be listening to ideas from them as well.

“Sean and I know the players well, and vice versa.  They know what to expect from us, and we’ll be working hard, just like we did before, to get the best out of them.”