AT the end of a dramatic week comes the completion of a traumatic season, and for many Darlington fans they will be glad when the campaign is over.

What the future holds remains uncertain, but the last two months have brought little other than misery for a club that for so long were ready for a long-awaited promotion.

This season promised so much and today’s game at Chester City could so easily have seen Darlington waving goodbye to League Two by celebrating their first promotion since 1991.

Instead it marks the closure of one of the most disappointing chapters in the club’s history, the latest twist seeing Dave Penney resign as manager this week.

He has joined Oldham Athletic, so assistant Martin Gray will be in charge today, and he also took Penney’s place for the pre-match press briefing.

Wishing the circumstances were very different, he said: “Dave should be here today, talking about going down to Chester and enjoying the last 90 minutes of the season after winning promotion.

“That’s what we set out to do two-and-a-half years ago when we first took over, and we were right on track until we went into administration in February.

“You can’t plan for that. Usually administration happens to teams at the bottom of the league, but we were near the top, with games in hand.

“It’s turned into an horrendous season for myself, Dave and the fans.”

Penney intends to take his Quakers assistant to Oldham, as well as goalkeeping coach Andy Collett, and the former manger wants to see Gray sign off with a win.

At the beginning of Thursday’s training session Penney said his farewells to Quakers’ players who, says Gray, are determined to finish the season with a win.

“On Thursday, Dave came in and said ‘make sure you finish the season right, for yourselves, for the fans and for Martin’.

“He spoke to all the players for a good half an hour. It was a very positive meeting and Dave was telling the players that for the sake of the club and the fans it is very important that we finish the season in the right manner.

“The players will definitely be doing that as the standards that were set at the start of the season have been very high and we will maintain that for the last game.

“The players’ attitude is ‘lets go down there and win this game’.

“They are mentally strong and don’t want to go to Chester to kick a ball around for 90 minutes, they want to win the game.”

Due to having so few options available, there will be no wholesale changes today, though Alan White is suspended for a game that could be played in a sombre atmosphere.

With relegated Chester playing their final game in the Football League, Darlington supporters are unsure what shape their club will be in next season.

Those making the trip to the Deva Stadium are likely to be seeing several of the current squad in Quakers colours for the last time But they have an opportunity to see players from yesteryear during tomorrow’s allstars game at The Northern Echo Darlington Arena (2pm).

Gray is hopeful of a large crowd for a match he and Penney have been organising for the bulk of the last two weeks.

“There’ll be great support on Saturday from the fans and they have been fantastic ever since we’ve been in administration,” said Gray.

“The fundraising from the fans, various sports clubs and the schools has been excellent, everybody has chipped in.

“It’s a big game on Saturday but we have the biggest game of the season on Sunday.

“I’ve been here for ten years so I feel very passionate about the place and the fans, it is important that this club survives.

“The club has given me a great ten years and now I want to see everybody in the North-East, not just Darlington people, get behind the club and give the club its best chance of survival.

“If we can get five, six or 7,000 that would be great as that would be the equivalent of two or three home games which would help keep this club alive.”