I'm no Terry Venables Raine admits to fans

Raine was given his new title after last Saturday's 3-0 home hammering by Chesterfield and some fans are thinking he will be picking and coaching the team - a similar role to that undertaken by Venables at Middlesbrough.

Instead, he will be acting as a buffer between chairman George Reynolds and manager Gary Bennett as Quakers look to secure their Football League future.

"I'm not going to be involved in doing things like selection or coaching," he insisted.

"That side of it has got nothing to do with me.

"I wouldn't dream of trying to tell players anything about tactics or the way they play the game, or tell Gary who to pick.

"It is an extension of my duties as public relations director. The idea is that I will work between the manager and the chairman, and take some of the workload off both of them. We want to try to keep things on an even keel.

"Gary has a heavy workload and since the day he was appointed we have put him under the cosh and he has been involved in all manner of things."

Raine also revealed that chairman Reynolds is still pumping money into the club. "The chairman is, for example, still topping up the salaries, and will continue to do so.

"Until now, the football club and the people at George Reynolds UK have been under the same banner, and people on the shop floor have been subsidising the football club.

"We have been trying to gel them together, but we won't be doing that in future."

Bennett, meanwhile, denied that he feels cheated by the loss of several players since the summer. His squad is around ten players less than last season.

"I don't feel cheated at all. When I got the job I knew what I was going into. I understand the chairman's point of view. He put a lot of money into the club last season and he holds the pursestrings.

"It restricts me from getting quality players in, and I have to go along with that."

Raine announced that Reynolds will put £300,000 towards extra wages for the remainder of the season, and Bennett said: "We need three or four new players. We have several young players who are going to be very good, but they need an old head to help them at the moment.

"We need players who will come to the club and battle for us - and they will not be loan players."

Raine said Bennett won't be restricted as much in future as he has been this season.

"Maybe we have let Gary down this season, but he has made no fuss about it.

"He has a new budget from now until the end of the season, and from next season he will have a lot more freedom when the chairman has sold his company."

Raine reiterated that Bennett's job is safe. "Gary is in no danger of being out of work - he will be here as long as he works hard at the job."

Darlington might have to re-arrange another home game because of the LDV Vans Trophy.

Quakers are due to play Southend at home in a league game on February 6, but that game might have to be re-arranged to accommodate an LDV tie at either Port Vale or Chester City.

The second round tie between those two was postponed again on Tuesday night, and has been re-arranged for next Tuesday.

If the tie does take place next week, then the Football League will probably tell Darlington to play the winners on February 6.

Quakers have already lost one game to the LDV, which the league says takes priority over the Third Division.

The re-arranged game at Exeter last week had to be postponed because Quakers were playing Shrewsbury.

Quakers' reserves last night went down 2-1 at home to Blackpool.

Gary Williamson netted for the home side, who gave Dean Walling, Bishop Auckland striker Danny Mellanby and French defender Nicolas Forge chances to impress