BEING asked to take temporary charge of the Darlington team made Gary Brown feel like he had won the lottery.

Brown and Phil Turnbull took training last Thursday and picked the team for Saturday’s game with Stockport County after Quakers were left managerless following Martin Gray’s move to York City.

As Darlington are not holding interviews with candidates until the end of this week, Brown and Turnbull will remain in charge for the time being and take training this evening and Thursday too.

Brown admits he now has more sympathy with football managers, but feels fortunate to have been given the position on a caretaker basis.

“My phone has never stopped for days. There’s been good luck messages from people I’d never heard of for a long time,” he said.

“They say that when you win the lottery you hear from people you’ve not heard from in years, and since we got given this position people have been coming out of the woodwork! I’ve had texts and Facebook messages from everyone.

“The Salford managers, Anthony Johnson and Bernard Morley, have been in touch. They’re top guys, them two. They didn’t have to make the effort, they went out of their way to get my number to say good luck.”

Brown and Turnbull made four changes on Saturday, among them Tom Portas replacing Joe Wheatley in midfield.

Brown added: “I’ve got a lot more respect for football managers now, put it that way.

“Not picking some players is a part of the job that I wouldn’t like to have every week. They’re mates at the end of the day.

“We left Joe out, who had started the last few games, and pulled him to one side before we named the team to explain why he wasn’t in.

“The type of the lad he is, he took it on the chin and when he came on he was outstanding.”