Hodgson sacked

The Quakers terminated Hodgson's contract four days into a two-week suspension that focused on alleged contact between the manager and AFC Bournemouth, as well as results on the pitch.

Darlington have won only two of their past ten league games and have slipped to 11th in the League Two table, despite chairman George Houghton funding a number of pre-season signings.

Bournemouth are in the process of interviewing candidates for the manager's job at Dean Court and, earlier this week, a club official said an announcement on the position would be made next week.

As part of the inquiry, Hodgson will attend a meeting with Darlington officials tomorrow.

In a statement released last night, Quakers said: "Darlington Football Club has acted upon preliminary findings of the chairman's internal inquiry. As a result, David Hodgson has been asked to relinquish his post as team manager.

"However, the inquiry will continue and the FA will be invited to give guidance on a number of matters relating to FA rules."

Speaking exclusively to The Northern Echo, Quakers chairman George Houghton said that a combination of the inquiry's findings and the team's results meant there could only be one outcome.

Having questioned Hodgson about the link with Bournemouth last Friday afternoon, Houghton said the result of that evening's 2-2 draw with Grimsby became irrelevant.

Asked whether it had been the link with Bournemouth or results that led to Hodgson's demise, Houghton said: "Percentage wise, I would say 50/50."

Twice before this season Hodgson appeared to be on the verge of an acrimonious departure and, last week, Quakers refused Bournemouth permission to speak to their manager.

Houghton said: "Everyone has a few run-ins when they first start out together, but I think we gelled. But the recent situation, when a chairman rang me out of the blue to say he had had a phone call from David's representative . . . I was shocked.

"I'll tell you the reason I was shocked - when people work for me, they have got to be 100 per cent for the business, because if they are not, there must be a reason.

"So I gave him the chance to explain himself on Friday and I wasn't very happy with the results.

"You've seen what's going on in the whole country in football. We want the players and the management to be 100 per cent committed to this football club.

"I am not happy when someone goes behind my back - that's not just at this football club, that goes for any business I run."

Referring to last week's game with Grimsby, Houghton said: "The result wouldn't have changed this, it was an ongoing situation and what happened with that phone call from the chairman did not please me whatsoever.

"Loyalty is one of the most important factors when people are working for you, especially when I have given my loyalty to the person himself.

"A month ago, we sat down and David said that by January, we would be in the first three and we would win the league outright. That was great, that was what I wanted to hear.

"He said that if we were not in the first three in January he would walk, he was quite categorical. He said we had the best team around and that if we weren't up there, then there would be something wrong.

"But I have been disappointed over the last few games and I think the fans have been disappointed as well, and that is very important to me."

Hodgson last night hit back at Houghton and says he is looking forward to meeting club officials tomorrow.

He said: "I will relish the opportunity to sit in front of these people and, for as long as it takes for the lawyers to get things in place, I have nothing to be concerned about.

"The one thing that will certainly happen, when the situation arises I will speak the truth and everything will be the truth. I am looking forward to when that arrives.

"I'm extremely comfortable with everything that they're pointing the finger at me with. With that, and when the time comes, when the opportunity comes to speak freely, I will do so.

"There will be some interesting stuff, which may come out.

"The football club are going to ask for me to attend a meeting on October 6. I've spoken to my solicitors and they will give a timescale when we can respond and when we can attend."

Reserve team coach Neil Maddison is in temporary charge and is expected to be in the dug-out when Quakers play their next game tomorrow night. However, a number of other names have been linked to the Darlington hotseat.

Darlington's youth team coach Martin Gray has emerged as a strong candidate, while Sunderland assistant academy director Kevin Ball is also in the frame.