Darlington manager Gary Bennett is hoping to speak to Middlesbrough player Neil Maddison after freeing six members of his first team squad yesterday.

Darlington-born Maddison is available on a free transfer after hardly figuring for them since he signed from Southampton, and Bennett is keen to speak to a player who is thought to be keen on staying in the North-East.

"He is somebody I would like to speak to," said Bennett.

"However, he will be on good wages at Middlesbrough, and he might be well out of our range. A lot will depend on whether he will take a wage cut and drop into the Third Division."

Maddison is understood to be keen on a move to his home town club, but Quakers will face strong opposition from higher league clubs.

Bennett has also been linked with Shrewsbury striker Nigel Jemson, who is a former Oxford teammate of club skipper Martin Gray. Bennett wouldn't confirm any enquiry for the 32-year-old former Nottingham Forest front man, who has scored 31 goals in two seasons and is out of contract at the end of the season.

But Bennett said: "I know Nigel quite well as a friend, and I've spoken to him several times over the season about all sorts of things." Shrewsbury have made Jemson a new offer, while Wrexham are watching the situation closely.

Bennett said: "The list of released players comes out at the start of June, and I'm sure it will be as thick as a dictionary.

"There are one or two players we have in mind at the moment, and we'll be trying to have a chat with them. But we have to make sure that we make the right decisions about which players to bring in."

There were no real surprises in the players that Bennett freed yesterday.

Deadline week signings Phil Naisbitt - who was signed as goalkeeping cover - and Frenchmen Abraham Keita and Jean-Michel Cau, have all been freed, with only Cau seeing first team action. Jesper Hjorth, who has rarely figured since January, and autumn signings from Oldham, striker Paul Beavers and defender Jordan Tait are also on their way.

However, striker John Williams has been offered a new deal despite suggestions that Bennett might not be interested in extending the five-goal striker's stay at Feethams.

"I thought for quite a while about what to offer him, and decided on a year. It's up to John now."

Bennett has offered three month deals to keeper Keith Finch and defender Graham Liddle, but youngster Gary Williamson has turned down a similar deal and is going to the USA.

The prospect of two clubs dropping out of the Third Division each season moved a step closer yesterday, with an official proposal being submitted by the Football League.

The 72 chairmen of non-Premiership clubs will now be asked to vote on the issue at the League's annual general meeting, which is taking place from June 7-9.

The League want two Conference sides to be promoted each season to freshen up the Third Division. League officials also want the Football Association to help fund the change. The League's board have already backed the move in principle, and it is now up to their members to vote on the proposal. It needs the backing of 50 per cent of the league chairmen, and of half of the First Division chairmen.

Football League chief executive David Burns has warned, however, that money will be needed to see through the change.

He said: ''My view remains unaltered that this is a change that is in the best interests of English football and I am, therefore, equally clear that the FA should use its significant resources to support the game at grass-roots level, in the Conference, by funding this change.''

Read more about the Quakers here.