Town old boy ruled out of tonight's Darlo clash

Oct 7 2008 by Dougie Thomson, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

AN ANKLE operation means there will be no reunion with old boy Pawel Abbott when Town visit Darlington tonight.

But while the former Poland Under 21 striker recovers from the latest in a line of injuries, Stan Ternent’s team could find themselves tackling a Liechtenstein international in the second round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

For Dave Penney’s League II squad includes midfielder Franz Burgmeier, who was first spotted by a seven-year-old!

That was when he played against England at Old Trafford in 2003, with Darlington chairman George Houghton’s grandson Max saying Burgmeier reminded him of Michael Essien.

Another Quakers board member David Jones carried out some research into the player and kept tabs on his progress.

And Darlington made their move in the close-season once Basel’s former Tottenham coach Christian Gross made it clear that Burgmeier had no future at the Swiss club.