DARLINGTON manager Martin Gray wants to see the future of the club resolved quickly so he can focus on planning for next season.

The current season ended today with a 5-1 defeat at Salford City, but Gray’s thoughts soon switched to the investors who hope to buy a stake in the club.

While the club is in limbo, Gray is concerned that his transfer targets will go elsewhere, and there is mounting speculation about the future of several players of Darlington’s squad.

Striker Mark Beck, who ended the season with 18 goals after drawing Darlington level at Salford, is out of contract, but Quakers are in talks with him and want him to stay.

“The most important thing is the next fortnight,” said Gray. “We need to find out which direction the club is going in.

“That’s got to come to a head very quickly.

“If it goes as I would like to go as a football club – part owned club, part fan-owned club… “This is my business time as a manager and I’ve to get on with some real serious work. Now we need to know exactly where we’re going with things because before you know it it’ll be July 1 and we’ll be back in.

“This is business time for me. I’ve got to meet players and tie things up and be ready to go again.

“But to do that we need to know what we’re doing, and at this moment in time we don’t know what we’re doing.

“I need some firm answers on the direction of the football club. If I get the right answers then we can progress again.

“There’s no time to waste. The season is finished but every day is a working day for a manager, but hopefully I will get the nod because I don’t want to miss opportunities to bring players in. It’s a short window.”