On the website tonight!

Kevin Burgess answers your questions, live!

E mail your question to media@darlingtonfc.org -- we've already received some good ones.

Good evening and welcome to our first netcafe of the season with Kevin Burgess

Plenty of questions tonight!

From Rob Duncan

Do you like the fact that you are captain,  and being a captain what qualities do you think you bring to the job ?

I’m over the moon that I’m captain, it’s an honour to be filling that role for the club. It’s a job that many people would like to do, and it gives me a real buzz..

Having said that, the team is full of captains, the difference is that I wear the armband! Other lads also make themselves heard on the field and organize their team mates.

I think my voice and organizational abilities help on the pitch. I don’t mind talking and shouting to the lads, I’ve been like that throughout my career.

This season, I like to lead by example, by putting my body on the line for the good of the team.

I know it might be personal but as a part time footballer what is your day job ?

I’m a groundworker on the highways for the council

How did winning the title compare to anything else you’ve achieved in your career?

It doesn’t compare with anything at all in my football career. I came to Darlington to win trophies and achieve success, and it’s great to have done that in my first season. I want to win another promotion.

To win the league at my old club, Whitby, in front of all those people last season was fantastic.

We knew beforehand that we would have a big crowd behind us at Whitby, but not as many as turned up that night. I think because we were so close to home we had 1600 fans behind us, so it was a fantastic feeling to lift the league trophy in front of all our fans, and at my old club as well. Before the game, some of the Whitby people said that they hoped we would win the league that night.

Honestly, it was the pinnacle of my football career, a top top feeling. Let’s hope that there are more to come.

Is the head injury ok now?

Yes, it’s fine, thanks, although I’ve still got a slight scar. My three year old keeps pointing at it and saying that I’m poorly!

How do you think pre season has gone?

I think pre season has gone well, and we’ve learned a lot in the games. It’s been hard work at times, but that was to be expected with the manager and coaching staff! It looks as if our fitness is very good, and we all look really sharp.

Some great players have come into the club, and they’ve certainly strengthened the depth of our squad. Last season, people said that we had a big, big squad, but we didn’t, whereas this time we’ve got more players and we’re stronger in all areas of the team.

From Neil Raper

Kev, your goal scoring record last season was extraordinary for a centre back. Can you put your finger on why (without giving away any tactical secrets)?

I’m not aiming for double figures again this season, my prime aim is to keep the goals out. But make no mistake about it, I love scoring and the goals are a massive bonus.

There’s no real secret to it, it’s just that we’re very good at creating chances from setpieces because the delivery into dangerous areas from the lads is phenomenal.

What do you think was your best goal of last season?

Without a doubt, my best goal was my header at Whitby on the night we won the league.

I’ve seen a video by a Darlo fan in the shed that night. It shows me heading the goal and then all the fans going crazy, and a few minutes later, Army scored and they all went mental. The place just erupted. I must have watched that video half a dozen times, thanks to the guy who has put it on the internet.

What attitude to you go out to every game with?

Daniel Simkiss

To win every game. To try and perform to the best of our ability and try and bring the best out of other players around me, mainly to win every game.

What do you think the new signings have brought to the team?

I think they’ve brought some strength in depth to the squad. Any of us in the squad can start the game, so there’s real competition for places and fighting for positions. No one thinks that they have the right to a starting place.

Joe Peacock

How do you feel the vibe is at the club heading into the new campaign?

It’s brilliant, as it always has been. The manager and the coaching staff pride themselves on building a real togetherness. The fans get on well with the players and the togetherness drives us all on, especially towards the end of last season when we played four games per week. I can’t see it changing this season.

What do you order when Mart takes you to Costa?

Vanilla latte with two sugars all the time!

Roy Elliott

We noticed last season that you are a player prepared to carry on regardless of the type of head injury you have sustained.

With this in mind who has inspired you most to be a great captain for your club.

My role model is my dad, he was in the army and nothing fazed him. I’ve taken that on, he never whinged or complained about anything in life and just got on with life.

My role model in football is John Terry, as a player and a leader, I look up to him the most. The best centre half I’ve ever seen. I always remember he made a sliding challenge once in an England game, and deliberately put his face in the way of the ball to stop a goal. As a player his ability was the best I've ever seen from a centre half.

Ruth Hetherington

Which past and present football players do you admire and  respect?

Apart from John Terry, George Friend from my home town club Middlesbrough. He wears his heart on his sleeve, gives everything for the club and the time. He was the best left back in the championship last season, I can’t wait to see how he does in the Premiership this season.

Tony Adams – my dad and I have lots of conversations. My dad jokes that I might be as good as him one day! I haven’t quite reached that level yet, but I look up to him.

Hiya, 

Please can you ask Kev if he will wear the bandage he had on for the last 20 games of last season for the whole of this campaign please, I love the hard look on him!

Cheers 

Tom Portas

I love you Tom, but I don't love you that much. I've got the bandage in my bag, just in case you want to borrow it!

How are you enjoying your defensive partnership with Gary Brown?   You seem to have a great understanding -- can you understand a word he says?

Carolyn Liversedge

Yes, I can understand him – just. I think the relationship as friends and on the field is something special and our understanding is great. We clicked as soon as we met each other. I knew what sort of player he was before I came to Darlington. We both know what we’re going to do on the field. If I make a mistake, I know that he’ll back me up, and vice versa. He makes me laugh most of the time, but it’s great how he can go from being a joker, then suddenly when training starts or we cross the white line, then he becomes a total winner.

Andrew Park

Kev, are the squad feeling confident of the upcoming season - Starting with Altrincham on Saturday?

Yes, we’re feeling confident. The vibes are good in the team, there’s a real buzz within the squad that Martin and the coaches have put together, we can’t wait to give the league a real good crack. We want to achieve something like we did last season, as we’re all winners. We go out to win every game, like we always do.

How important a part do the fans play at the club?

The fans are the club. Their support home and away has been phenomenal. I can remember that when went to Grantham, it was like a home game. They really spur us on. When your legs start to give away, you hear the Darlo chants pushing us on, they really get us through – for example, the two Salford games. They literally give us an extra 20 per cent. And who can forget about the turnout at Whitby that night? The players will never forget the support we had that night and the continuing support that we’ll always have, which makes Darlo the great club that it is.

Would you like to have an FA Cup run this season?

Yes, definitely, It’s what every non league team dreams of. It would be great to see the cameras coming to an FA cup tie and the club getting the attention it deserves. We need to win three FA Cup matches, instead of four like last season, to reach the first round proper. Hopefully we get the luck of the draw which every club needs as well as playing to the best of our ability and winning games. It would be great to reward everyone at the club for all their hard work, by reaching the first round proper of the FA Cup.

Last question goes to Andy Park (Because this Costa is closing!)

How do the players feel about the club moving back to the town in the near future and the huge possibility of playing in front of potentially 2000+ week in, week out?

It's very exciting, something that the players talk about in training and before games. We already get great support from the fans, so it would be great to take it back to the town and attract the fans who haven't been going to Bishop as well.

Thanks everyone for the questions tonight, we've thoroughly enjoyed it at this end.

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