PHIL TURNBULL returns to his former club this evening when Darlington travel to Gateshead.

After seven years on Tyneside the midfielder left the International Stadium for Quakers this summer, dropping two divisions in the process, after deciding to go part-time in order to begin a career as a teacher.

The 28-year-old will play against his former team-mates who include ex-Darlington players Sam Russell, Jamie Chandler and Rob Ramshaw, while Quakers boss Martin Gray will use the match to again run the rule over trialists Wilson Kneeshaw and Lewis Gibbons.

Both were due to face York City on Tuesday, until the game was postponed with less than 24 hours notice and rearranged for Monday, July 27.

Tonight’s game (7.30pm), comes too soon for former Heed forward Graeme Armstrong, although he did take a full part in Quakers’ training session this week as he recovers from an abdominal injury, while fellow injured striker Amar Purewal continues his fight to regain fitness.

He suffered a cruciate ligament injury last December and is reluctant to put a date on his return, but wants to be back before reaching the one-year anniversary of his injury. Captain Gary Brown is available to play, two days after his partner gave birth to their second child.

It was in the dying seconds of a friendly at Gateshead two years ago when Brown sustained a serious ankle injury that ruled him out for the majority of the following campaign.

Gateshead manager Malcolm Crosby was Sunderland boss when Gray and assistant Brian Atkinson were players at Roker Park.

It was Crosby who, in 1990, was instrumental in signing Gray, who had impressed in a pre-season friendly for Ferryhill against a Sunderland that included Atkinson, and later also played for him at Oxford United.

Gray said: “He’s been a mentor for me throughout my career. He signed me, I followed him down the country and he’s been someone I’ve always called on for advice.
“Without him I wouldn’t be in the game now.”

Crosby has signed seven players this summer, and hopes to add to that tally before this evening’s fixture.

“Darlington are a side who will punish us if we make the same kind of mistakes again – we were fortunate that we didn’t get punished. I hope we’ll get somebody over the line before then – a striker, hopefully. We’re hoping to bring two in – whether we get two is another matter, but we’re trying.”