PERHAPS Darlington Football Club should abolish the "Family Club" slogan on its crest and replace it with an "Expect The Unexpected" motif.

The vast majority of Quakers' 120-year existence has been a low- key affair in the lower reaches of the Football League, with the exception of the odd cup upset here and there.

But for the intervention of a convicted safe-cracker in 1999, Darlington may well have slipped out of existence, almost unnoticed.

Today, the club may remain in its accustomed position - near the bottom - but it is anything but unheard of under chairman George Reynolds.

In the four years Reynolds has been at the helm, the Quakers chief has never been far away from the headlines: from taking over as the club's saviour, paying off its debts and building a magnificent new stadium in Neasham Road to the "I'll confront my detractors on their doorsteps" threats, police investigations into home visits, and the banning of supporters from the ground.

Last night, Reynolds made the shock announcement that he is attempting to lure the prodigal son - former manager David Hodgson - back for a third spell, saying: "We hope in the event of his return he can achieve the same success with the club as he did during his previous reign."

Fans, fondly recalling the way Hodgson passionately guided Quakers to the play-off final at Wembley in 2000, would no doubt welcome their old hero back with open arms.

The final decision rests with Hodgson himself, who is mulling over an offer to return to the club. And he certainly has plenty to think about.

It must all hinge on what guarantees Hodgson can get about the involvement of a chairman who recently announced on television that managers, like fans, know nowt.

Reynolds, has vowed to take a back seat should Hodgson return, but many will take that with a pinch of salt. It's a bit like asking the Beckhams to keep a low profile.

It was a difference of opinion which brought Hodgson and Reynolds to loggerheads just over three years ago following a disagreement over signing-on and agents' fees.

Long after Hodgson's acrimonious departure in August 2000, a bitter feud continued between the pair, even across the airwaves on Paul Gough's morning show on Century FM.

Reynolds questioned Hodgson's record while Hodgson questioned the club's direction under Reynolds. Now, Reynolds sees burying the hatchet with Hodgson as the way to pull the club out of the mire.

Quakers are joint second bottom of the Third Division following Saturday's sixth straight defeat at the hands of fellow strugglers, Bury.

That led to fans venting their fury towards the chairman with chants of "Reynolds out" - a far cry from Reynolds' early days when adoring fans chanted from the Tin Shed: "Georgie, Georgie, show us your scarf!"

And all the while, the club's financial problems are mounting as Reynolds strives to change planning regulations preventing him from holding car boot sales and opening a nightclub at the new stadium.

Reynolds said in the BBC's recent 'fly on the wall' TV documentary that he needed Feethams "like a hole in the head".

But the irony is that Reynolds has probably enjoyed his most enjoyable moments at Quakers' home of 120 years.

Reynolds sees Hodgson as the man to spearhead a Quakers revival. But fans won't believe he is coming back until he walks out on to the pitch.

Remember Faustino Asprilla and, more recently, Marco Gabbiadini? They were coming too but, in the end, they proved as elusive as a home win at the Reynolds Arena.

If Hodgson does return - a move which would see Mick Tait move into a role with the youth team - the former Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Liverpool player would face enormous challenges.

He may be the fans' favourite, but he doesn't have a magic wand to wave away the financial troubles afflicting a club caught in a planning Catch 22.

Whatever happens off the pitch, Quakers' plight on the pitch is the result of Reynolds' strict policy on players' wages.

Tait failed to land several targets during the summer, with some even opting for a move to the Conference for better deals.

While Hodgson's final decision may rest on a promise of no interference from the chairman, any upturn in fortunes for Quakers will depend heavily on whether the 'back-seat' chairman is prepared to swallow his pride and provide the capital for some much-needed team investment.

If Hodgson comes back, then maybe anything is possible at the club where fans have come to expect the unexpected