Darlington are hopeful of completing the signing of defender David Brightwell from Hull City today, writes RAY SIMPSON.

If the deal goes through, Brightwell arrives at just the right time as star defender Craig Liddle will miss Saturday's game at Barnet because of a one-match suspension.

And the fans badly need a lift after a string of poor results which leaves Quakers just five places off the bottom of the table.

Brightwell started his career at Manchester City in 1988 and played nearly 50 games before going to Bradford for £30,000 in 1995.

He moved on to Northampton after 18 months at Valley Parade, and was an ever present for the Cobblers before going to Carlisle for two seasons. He joined Hull during the summer and has been a regular.

However, Brightwell has decided that he has had enough of the problems at Boothferry Park - the players haven't been paid in full for six weeks. No fee is involved.

Cautious Darlington manager Gary Bennett, who has been linked with Hull striker Clint Marcelle, said: "I don't want to raise my hopes too high until he puts pen to paper. It is a long drawn out process with plenty of complications, especially financial ones."

The Hull administrator revealed yesterday that the playing squad are going to receive some wages in the next few days, but not everything which they are owed. Brightwell is understood to be looking for some sort of guarantee that he will be paid his outstanding wages.