FORMER Darlington manager Dave Penney has sent his best wishes to Colin Todd, but remains convinced Quakers would have been starting the season in League One had they not “had their legs cut from under them”.

Penney, now in charge of Oldham Athletic, took a clutch of Darlington players with him to Boundary Park and Wednesday’s pre-season clash with Middlesbrough, which suggests he is building another squad capable of mounting a promotion bid.

With assistant manager Martin Gray joining him as number two and former Quakers Pawel Abbott and Rob Purdie in his Oldham squad, Penney has a core of the Darlington set-up that was set for automatic promotion before administration derailed their campaign.

Penney has continued to monitor the problems at his former club and believes Todd is facing a major challenge.

“Colin has a battle on his hands,” he said. “It’s all about rebuilding, but they are starting from scratch. When I came in at Darlington there was nothing there, we had to change all the players around and, for two seasons, we did well. But then the club had their legs cut from under them with financial problems and undid all of that good work.

“I told Colin my thoughts and I really hope he does well this season because the supporters deserve a change of luck – we didn’t get any last season, that’s for sure.

“Consolidation would be the first thing on Colin’s mind, but he’s ambitious and will be looking to do more than just survive. I keep in touch with the people who are still there and Martin (Gray) is well aware of what is going on because he still lives over there.

“It’s sad the way it’s gone. I heard the other day that staff had been sent home, which suggests there are still problems behind the scenes – that’s no good with the season a week or so away.

“Hopefully, the takeover can get bedded in and Raj Singh can put his stamp on it and allow Colin to get the players he wants, so they have a halfdecent season. The supporters deserve more. The ones I spoke to before I left knew how close we’d come and what we’d been trying to achieve before it was snatched away.

“I don’t think there were any hard feelings and I hope they can bounce back.”