WORRIED Darlington defender Ian Miller has called for a quick resolution to the club’s ownership problems which he admits is more likely to drive the squad away the longer the crisis continues.

The deadline for potential buyers for the club is 5pm today, though it has been extended once before and there are fears that administrators could extend it again.

Such a scenario would only increase the likelihood of a mass exodus, especially as most of the squad are already in receipt of offers from clubs in League One, League Two or the Blue Square Premier.

“All the players are hoping someone is going to come in and buy the club soon,” said Miller. “We want someone to sort the club out quickly, see us through the summer, keep the nucleus of the squad together and look forward.

“But the longer it goes on the more chance there is of people leaving.

“If we know the club is going to be saved, that someone is going to buy it, then we could stay here – but at the moment we’re in limbo because we don’t know what’s going to happen next.”

Over two months since Quakers went into administration they are not much closer to finding a buyer, and prospects suffered a blow last week when former vice-chairman Raj Singh withdrew his offer.

He was disappointed by Dave Penney’s resignation as manager, but was present at Sunday’s charity game, as was former chairman George Houghton, and Singh may yet make a second bid.

In the meantime, players continue to mull over their futures at the end of a season in which administration cost them not only promotion but most of their wages too.

Despite the problems Miller has no regrets about quitting as a lecturer to become a footballer in 2006.

In contrast to most of his peers, he came into the professional game having previously been employed at West Suffolk College until being plucked out of non-league, aged 22, by Ipswich.

“Things happen for a reason,”

said Miller, who turned down Brentford when he joined Quakers in 2007.

“When I turned pro it was the best thing could’ve happened to me.

“I was lecturing before but we’re not overly dissimilar to people that work in 9-5 jobs.

We might be a little bit luckier here in that we’re among the higher paid clubs in the division, but we’re not on Premier League money and it’s a struggle when you’re not getting paid.

“Everyone thinks you’ve got thousands saved in the bank and you’re on ten, 15 or £20,000 a week. I think it’s hard for some to comprehend.

“Don’t be thinking that we’re getting thousands through the deferrals because we’re really not.

“It’s been a massive problem because people have mortgages and bills to pay, even daft things like paying for petrol can be a problem when you’re not getting any income.

“It’s all up in the air at the moment. The players haven’t directly spoken to the administrator and don’t even think the manager had that much contact with him.

“All the lads are in the PFA and they’re coming in with some financial support as they are contributing part of the deferral, maybe ten or 20 per cent.

“But the deferrals from the club have been rapidly declining.

So then you start to think about what’s going to happen over the summer when there are no gate receipts – where’s the money going to come from to pay us or not?”