While maintaining Darlington’s promotion push remains Martin Gray’s top priority, giving local youngsters a chance to perform at first-team level is also high in the manager’s thinking.

Quakers return to league action on Saturday at Heritage Park against Clitheroe, the team’s first home match for four weeks, when an almost fully-fit squad bids to continue the team’s good form.

A defeat last weekend in the FA Trophy at St Neots Town was Darlington’s first since mid-September, and that their good form has seen a number of teenagers make their mark pleases Gray enormously.

The club’s youth team players are studying for a Btec at Darlington College, an education programme delivered by the Martin Gray Football Academy, and it is proving mutually beneficial, says Quakers’ boss.

While it is providing a pathway to the first team for several teenagers, such as Matty Lovegreen, Tom Young and Matty Pennal, they are also receiving an education that could take them to university.

“One thing we can promise kids, because we work with the daily, that they’ll be given opportunities to play first-team football,” said Gray. “We’ve proven that this season with the numbers of kids we have given games to.

“It’s a course that benefits both parties. The football club has some good young kids around the squad now that have been at the college for the last couple of years, but it’s the students that get the most out of it because they get a good education out of it.

“They have the opportunity to play for the most high profile amateur club in the country.

“We’re getting more and more lads that have dropped out of the academy clubs and they see it as a real opportunity to play for Darlington. A good example is Nathan Stephenson, a Darlington lad, who was released by Middlesbrough a year ago and the other week he scored for us in the Doodson Sport Cup against Whitby Town.

“The opportunity came for him to work with us and now we’re seeing him develop.

“They train every day, the same as they would if they were at a professional club. It’s every morning same as the pros. And the ones that do very play for Darlington under-18s at the weekend.”

Young, Lovegreen and Adam Cocks were all in the squad that travelled to last Saturday’s FA Trophy tie at St Neots Town, the latter pair both unused substitutes.

Lovegreen, a defender, may be hoping for a starting birth soon as suspensions will take affect when Quakers host Lancaster City a week on Saturday, but he is not available this weekend due to Durham County duties.

“He’s the Durham under-18s captain and that takes priority,” explained Gray.

“Matty Pennal is also in the squad. It was his debut the other night and he scored two goals against Northumbria. He’s a had a real good start and they’ve both got another County game on Saturday.

“We like to see kids represent their county, we want them to achieve the highest level they can so if that means missing a Darlington first-team game then so be it.

“It’s an honour to play for your county. And Matty Lovegreen has also played for the England Schools team.”

There are 58 students on the Btec level 3 football diploma at Darlington College, and Gray is now expanding the education programme to include boxing and dance themed courses.

Gray has recruited Stuart Hall, the Darlington-born former boxing world champion, to be a coach.

Gray added: “The Btec course opens the door to university for the kids. Sports science, physiotherapy, PE teaching, coaching, those are all avenues associated to sports that students can go down.

“It’s fantastic to see kids progress. We have a link with America now, we can sends kids across there to do scholarships.

“We’ve expanded the now, so there’s going to be a boxing course and that will be delivered by Stuart Hall and a dancing course too. We’re also looking at another sport-based course.

* The Martin Gray Sports Academy are inviting potential students to an open evening on Monday, 5.30-7.30pm, at Darlington College to discuss further education.

* Quaker Retail, Darlington’s club shop at Blackwell Meadows, will be closed from 1pm tomorrow until 10am on Tuesday, December 2.

The closure is due to an annual event held at Blackwell Meadows.

Quaker Retail, however, will be at Heritage Park on Saturday and again on Saturday, November 29.