# 2009–10 Darlington F.C. season

The 2009–10 season was Darlington Football Club's 81st season in the Football League and their 18th consecutive season in the fourth tier of English football, Football League Two. It covered the period from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010.
The season began with the club in administration, from which it exited just in time for the team to compete in the League Two season. After four matches they were bottom of the table, and bottom they remained for the rest of the season, with relegation to the Conference confirmed with six matches still to play. Three first-team managers took charge during the playing season, and there were two further managerial resignations and appointments during June 2010. The team lost in the first round of both the FA Cup and the League Cup and in the second round of the Football League Trophy.

## Background and summary

In February 2009, Darlington F.C. chairman George Houghton had placed the club into administration, which obliged the Football League to impose a 10-point deduction. The team finished the 2008–09 season in 12th place in League Two, only seven points below the promotion play-off places. Despite closing the west stand at the Darlington Arena to cut costs, and fund-raising projects, which included a match between the club's 1999-2000 play-off team and an All-Stars team featuring former Darlington players Bernie Slaven and Marco Gabbiadini under the captaincy of former England international midfielder Paul Gascoigne that attracted a crowd of over 3,000, no buyer for the club was found by a 5 May deadline. The "majority of the first-team squad" were made available on free transfers, and assistant manager Martin Gray and most of the coaching staff and administrative staff were laid off. Craig Liddle and Neil Maddison took caretaker charge of the team.
On 20 May, Houghton returned as owner and chairman; he appointed former Middlesbrough manager Colin Todd as manager, and issued a statement confirming he was "not going to let the club die" so would continue funding until a buyer was found. Shortly afterwards, a deal was agreed such that Raj Singh would become chairman with full control of club and stadium and he and Houghton would each own half of the surrounding land. Darlington exited administration on 7 August, with approval from the Football League to participate in the 2009–10 League Two season. On 3 August, 13 players were officially registered, several of whom had been with the club in 2008–09; a further 4 arrived before the end of the month.
The team gained only two points from the first nine matches, and Todd left on 26 September. He and the chairman disagreed as to whose idea his departure was. After two matches with Liddle as caretaker – both defeats – former Republic of Ireland manager Steve Staunton took over until the end of the season, with Kevin Richardson as his assistant.
In early December it emerged that a dispute had arisen over a clause in the contract of captain Steve Foster, the club's highest-paid player. Foster had shown loyalty to the club by accepting a pay cut with a clause that guaranteed him the offer of a contract extension if he made 20 appearances during the season. With two matches to go, Staunton confirmed that Foster would not be selected unless he rescinded that clause – the club's financial state precluded making that sort of offer when they might not even be in the Football League next season – and underlined his resolve by naming Ian Miller as captain. Although both parties wanted the situation resolved, Foster stood his ground and was released at the end of February having made 19 appearances in 2009–10.
In the January transfer window, Staunton brought in several Irish players on temporary or short-term deals, including St Patrick's Athletic midfielder Gary Dempsey, former Shamrock Rovers striker Tadhg Purcell, teenage defender Simon Madden, and former Inverness Caledonian Thistle defender Richie Byrne. He also signed former Darlington defender Alan White on loan, and youngsters Gareth Waite, a midfielder from Spennymoor Town, and former Hibernian striker Patrick Deane on six-month deals.
The team had been bottom of the league since the fourth match of the season, and attendances were falling. The loss at home to Barnet on 20 March attracted a record low crowd of 1,463 and left the team 19 points from safety. Feeling there was no alternative, Singh sacked Staunton the next day, recognising that "a lot of fans voted with their feet" – the attendance record fell to 1,296 at the next match – and he needed to appoint a manager to prepare for a promotion season in the Conference. Former Barnsley manager and Darlington player Simon Davey was appointed on 1 April, and despite two wins in his first four matches, relegation was confirmed on 13 April with six matches still to play. For the final fixture, he selected three youth-team players in the starting eleven and used a fourth, the 16-year-old Jordan Marshall, as a second-half substitute.
Having begun to build a squad for the coming season, Davey quit on 16 June. His assistant, Ryan Kidd, signed a two-year contract before having second thoughts, and Mark Cooper, who had been Singh's first choice to replace Staunton, signed a one-year deal on 29 June.

## League table (part)

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 20 | Lincoln City | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 42 | 65 | −23 | 50 | |
| 21 | Barnet | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 47 | 63 | −16 | 48 | |
| 22 | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 10 | 18 | 18 | 54 | 71 | −17 | 48 | |
| 23 | Grimsby Town (R) | 46 | 9 | 17 | 20 | 45 | 71 | −26 | 44 | Relegation to Conference National |
| 24 | Darlington (R) | 46 | 8 | 6 | 32 | 33 | 87 | −54 | 30 | Relegation to Conference National |

## Match results

General source: Match content not verifiable from these sources is referenced individually.
| Date | League position | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 8 August 2009 | 20th | Aldershot Town | A | L | 1–3 | Dowson 85' | 2,866 |
| 15 August 2009 | 23rd | Bury | H | L | 0–1 | | 2,310 |
| 18 August 2009 | 23rd | Crewe Alexandra | H | L | 0–1 | | 1,821 |
| 22 August 2009 | 24th | Port Vale | A | L | 0–1 | | 4,561 |
| 29 August 2009 | 24th | Cheltenham Town | H | D | 1–1 | Gall 71' | 1,840 |
| 5 September 2009 | 24th | Lincoln City | A | L | 0–3 | | 3,005 |
| 11 September 2009 | 24th | Accrington Stanley | A | L | 1–2 | Gall 59' | 3,228 |
| 19 September 2009 | 24th | AFC Bournemouth | H | L | 0–2 | | 1,999 |
| 26 September 2009 | 24th | Grimsby Town | A | D | 1–1 | Main 81' | 4,014 |
| 29 September 2009 | 24th | Rochdale | H | L | 0–2 | | 1,748 |
| 3 October 2009 | 24th | Macclesfield Town | H | L | 0–1 | | 1,763 |
| 10 October 2009 | 24th | Dagenham & Redbridge | A | L | 0–2 | | 1,981 |
| 17 October 2009 | 24th | Shrewsbury Town | H | W | 2–1 | Devitt 26', Thomas 56' | 1,958 |
| 24 October 2009 | 24th | Barnet | A | L | 0–3 | | 2,313 |
| 31 October 2009 | 24th | Hereford United | A | L | 1–2 | Collins 72' | 2,238 |
| 14 November 2009 | 24th | Burton Albion | H | W | 1–0 | Main 7' | 2,404 |
| 21 November 2009 | 24th | Chesterfield | A | L | 2–5 | Collins 59', Hogg 87' | 3,460 |
| 28 November 2009 | 24th | Morecambe | H | L | 0–4 | | 1,698 |
| 1 December | 24th | Notts County | A | L | 0–4 | | 4,606 |
| 5 December 2009 | 24th | Bradford City | H | L | 0–1 | | 2,744 |
| 12 December 2009 | 24th | Torquay United | A | L | 0–5 | | 2,434 |
| 19 January 2010 | 24th | Rotherham United | A | W | 2–1 | Purcell 47', G. Smith 63' | 3,234 |
| 23 January 2010 | 24th | Crewe Alexandra | A | L | 0–3 | | 3,717 |
| 26 January 2010 | 24th | Northampton Town | H | L | 1–2 | Purcell 29' | 1,694 |
| 6 February 2010 | 24th | Rotherham United | H | W | 2–0 | Purcell 19', Waite 52' | 2,231 |
| 9 February 2010 | 24th | Lincoln City | H | D | 1–1 | Dempsey 38' | 1,697 |
| 13 February 2010 | 24th | Morecambe | A | L | 0–2 | | 1,741 |
| 20 February 2010 | 24th | Chesterfield | H | L | 2–3 | Purcell 27', 53' | 2,209 |
| 27 February 2010 | 24th | Bradford City | A | L | 0–1 | | 11,532 |
| 2 March 2010 | 24th | Port Vale | H | L | 1–3 | Purcell 6' | 1,582 |
| 6 March 2010 | 24th | Torquay United | H | L | 1–3 | Main 54' | 1,819 |
| 9 March 2010 | 24th | Bury | A | D | 1–1 | Purcell 32' pen. | 2,123 |
| 13 March 2010 | 24th | Northampton Town | A | L | 0–2 | | 4,755 |
| 20 March 2010 | 24th | Barnet | H | L | 1–2 | Breen 57' o.g. | 1,463 |
| 23 March 2010 | 24th | Aldershot Town | H | L | 1–2 | Arnison 85' | 1,296 |
| 27 March 2010 | 24th | Shrewsbury Town | A | W | 2–0 | Purcell 8', Diop 87' | 5,081 |
| 3 April 2010 | 24th | Burton Albion | A | W | 2–1 | Gray 22', White 32' | 2,779 |
| 5 April 2010 | 24th | Hereford United | H | L | 0–1 | | 2,131 |
| 10 April 2010 | 24th | Accrington Stanley | H | D | 0–0 | | 1,545 |
| 13 April 2010 | 24th | Rochdale | A | W | 1–0 | Mulligan 35' | 5,371 |
| 17 April 2010 | 24th | AFC Bournemouth | A | L | 0–2 | | 6,464 |
| 20 April 2010 | 24th | Cheltenham Town | A | D | 3–3 | Purcell 2', Eastham 5' o.g., Diop 27' | 2,836 |
| 24 April 2010 | 24th | Grimsby Town | H | L | 0–2 | | 1,911 |
| 27 April 2010 | 24th | Notts County | H | L | 0–5 | | 2,112 |
| 1 May 2010 | 24th | Macclesfield Town | A | W | 0–2 | Miller 9', M. Smith 79' | 1,716 |
| 8 May 2010 | 24th | Dagenham & Redbridge | H | L | 0–2 | | 2,720 |

### FA Cup

FA Cup match details :
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance | Refs |
| First round | 7 November 2009 | Barnet | A | L | 1–3 | Diop 73' | 1,654 | |

### Football League Cup

League Cup match details :
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance | Refs |
| First round | 10 August 2009 | Leeds United | H | L | 0–1 | | 4,487 | |

### Football League Trophy

Football League Trophy match details :
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score F–A | Scorers | Attendance | Refs |
| First round | 1 September 2009 | Lincoln City | H | W | 1–0 | Thorpe 27' | 828 | |
| Second round | 6 October 2009 | Leeds United | A | L | 1–2 | Convery 45+1' | 8,429 | |

## Appearances and goals

    Source:
    Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.
    Players with name and squad number struck through and marked † left the club during the playing season.
    Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Darlington.
    Players listed with no appearances have been in the matchday squad but only as unused substitutes.
    Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward
Players included in matchday squads :
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | FL Trophy | FL Trophy | Total | Total | Discipline | Discipline |
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | | |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Paul Arnison | 17 (1) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | 20 (1) | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 21 | DF | ENG | Rikki Bains | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 3 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | FW | ENG | Corey Barnes | 4 (2) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 6 (2) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | ENG | Moses Barnett * | 4 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 5 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | ENG | James Bennett | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 3 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Mark Bower | 12 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 14 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | DF | ENG | Dan Burn | 2 (2) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | DF | IRL | Richie Byrne | 2 (2) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | MF | ENG | Jamie Chandler | 12 (2) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 14 (2) | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 25 | MF | SCO | Ross Chisholm | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | IRL | James Collins | 5 (2) | 2 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 6 (2) | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 18 | MF | ENG | Mark Convery | 9 (12) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (1) | 1 | 11 (13) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | FW | ENG | Jordan Cook * | 4 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 4 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | ENG | David Davis * | 5 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 6 (0) | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 29 | FW | SCO | Patrick Deane | 0 (10) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (10) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | IRL | Gary Dempsey | 24 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 24 (0) | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | IRL | Jamie Devitt * | 5 (1) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 6 (1) | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 30 | FW | FRA | Mor Diop | 18 (5) | 2 | 0 (1) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 18 (6) | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 20 | FW | ENG | David Dowson * | 6 (4) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 7 (5) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Steve Foster | 15 (1) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 18 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | FW | WAL | Kevin Gall | 9 (1) | 2 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | 11 (1) | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | ENG | Stuart Giddings | 22 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 22 (0) | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 12 | MF | ENG | Josh Gray | 10 (17) | 1 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 10 (18) | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | MF | ENG | Danny Groves | 8 (8) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 9 (8) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 32 | DF | ENG | Danny Hall * | 3 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 33 | MF | ENG | Paul Harsley * | 3 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Jonathan Hogg * | 5 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 5 (0) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | GK | ENG | Russell Hoult * | 6 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 6 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | GK | ENG | Ashlee Jones | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | DF | NIR | Tony Kane * | 4 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 4 (0) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1 | GK | ENG | David Knight | 7 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 9 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | GK | ENG | Nick Liversedge | 13 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 15 (0) | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | MF | ENG | Chris Lumsdon | 2 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 3 (0) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | IRL | Simon Madden | 13 (2) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 13 (2) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | FW | ENG | Curtis Main | 12 (14) | 3 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 12 (17) | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 25 | FW | ENG | Jordan Marshall | 0 (3) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | ENG | John McReady | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Ian Miller | 40 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | 43 (0) | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | SCO | Andrew Milne | 12 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 12 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | MF | ENG | Chris Moore | 8 (3) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 8 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | MF | ENG | Nathan Mulligan | 10 (6) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 10 (6) | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Matty Plummer | 5 (3) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | 8 (4) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | MF | ENG | Nathan Porritt * | 4 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 5 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | FW | IRL | Tadhg Purcell | 22 (0) | 9 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 22 (0) | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | GK | IRL | Shane Redmond * | 19 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 19 (0) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | ENG | Gary Smith | 32 (2) | 1 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 2 (0) | 0 | 36 (2) | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ENG | Jeff Smith | 22 (2) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 25 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | FW | ENG | Michael Smith | 3 (4) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 3 (4) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | FW | ENG | Simon Thomas * | 7 (0) | 1 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 8 (0) | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | ENG | Lee Thorpe | 7 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 0 | 1 (0) | 1 | 9 (1) | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Gareth Waite | 14 (0) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 14 (0) | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Noel Whelan | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | ENG | Alan White * | 23 (1) | 1 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 23 (1) | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | ENG | Dean Windass | 3 (3) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 3 (4) | 0 | 1 | 0 |

## Transfers
### In

The Football League approved the club's exit from administration only in August 2009, so although deals had been agreed with a number of players, some of whom had appeared in pre-season matches, these players were not officially registered until 3 August 2009. These registrations also included those of players whose contracts could not be renewed until the club came out of administration.
| Date | Pos | Player | Club | Fee |
| 3 August 2009 | DF | Paul Arnison | Bradford City | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | MF | James Bennett | Hull City | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | DF | Mark Bower | Bradford City | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | DF | Mark Convery | Newcastle Blue Star | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | DF | Steve Foster | | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | GK | David Knight | Mansfield Town | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | GK | Nick Liversedge | | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | MF | Chris Lumsdon | | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | DF | Ian Miller | | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | DF | Matty Plummer | | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | MF | Gary Smith | | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | MF | Jeff Smith | | Free |
| 3 August 2009 | FW | Lee Thorpe | | Free |
| 10 August 2009 | DF | Dan Burn | | Free |
| 14 August 2009 | DF | Rikki Bains | | Free |
| 21 August 2009 | FW | Kevin Gall | | Free |
| 24 August 2009 | FW | Curtis Main | | Free |
| 9 October 2009 | FW | Noel Whelan | | Free |
| 22 October 2009 | FW | Serigne Diop | SE Eivissa-Ibiza | |
| 29 October 2009 | GK | Ashlee Jones | | |
| 29 October 2009 | MF | Nathan Mulligan | Norton & Stockton Ancients | |
| 7 January 2010 | MF | Gary Dempsey | St Patrick's Athletic | Free |
| 7 January 2010 | FW | Tadhg Purcell | Shamrock Rovers | Free |
| 14 January 2010 | DF | Simon Madden | Shamrock Rovers | Free |
| 15 January 2010 | MF | Gareth Waite | Spennymoor Town | |
| 15 January 2010 | FW | Patrick Deane | Hibernian | Free |
| 1 February 2010 | DF | Richie Byrne | | Free |
| 2 March 2010 | MF | Ross Chisholm | Shamrock Rovers | Free |
| 11 March 2010 | MF | Chris Moore | Whitley Bay | |
* ↑ Registered as scholar
* ↑ Signed on monthly contract
* ↑ Signed on non-contract terms

#### Loans in

| Date | Pos | Name | From | Length |
| 7 August 2009 | MF | Jamie Chandler | Sunderland | Three months |
| 7 August 2009 | FW | David Dowson | Sunderland | Three months |
| 17 August 2009 | MF | Nathan Porritt | Middlesbrough | One month |
| 18 August 2009 | FW | Jordan Cook | Sunderland | One month |
| 15 September 2009 | MF | Jamie Devitt | Hull City | One month |
| 16 September 2009 | GK | Russell Hoult | Notts County | One month |
| 17 September 2009 | DF | Tony Kane | Carlisle United | One month |
| 9 October 2009 | DF | Moses Barnett | Everton | One month |
| 16 October 2009 | FW | Simon Thomas | Crystal Palace | Three months |
| 22 October 2009 | FW | James Collins | Aston Villa | Three months |
| 22 October 2009 | MF | David Davis | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Two months |
| 19 November 2009 | MF | Jonathan Hogg | Aston Villa | Six weeks |
| 26 November 2009 | DF | Andrew Milne | Leeds United | Five weeks |
| 26 November 2009 | MF | Paul Harsley | Chesterfield | Five weeks |
| 26 November 2009 | DF | Danny Hall | Chesterfield | Five weeks |
| 15 January 2010 | DF | Alan White | Luton Town | End of season |
| 26 January 2010 | GK | Shane Redmond | Nottingham Forest | One month |
| 5 March 2010 | DF | Andrew Milne | Leeds United | End of season |
* ↑ Chandler's initial 28-day loan was extended to January 2010 under Todd's management, but was terminated by Staunton in late November.
* ↑ Dowson's initial 28-day loan was extended to January 2010 under Todd's management, but was terminated by Staunton.
* ↑ Cook's five-month loan was terminated early following an ACL injury.

### Out

| Date | Pos | Name | To | Fee |
| 22 October 2009 | FW | Kevin Gall | York City | Contract expired |
| 8 December 2009 | GK | David Knight | Histon | Mutual consent |
| 8 December 2009 | MF | James Bennett | Ossett Town | Mutual consent |
| 8 December 2009 | DF | Matty Plummer | North Ferriby United | Mutual consent |
| 16 February 2010 | GK | Ashlee Jones | | Mutual consent |
| 27 February 2010 | DF | Steve Foster | Blyth Spartans | Mutual consent |
| 27 February 2010 | FW | Lee Thorpe | Fleetwood Town | Mutual consent |
| 19 March 2010 | MF | Jeff Smith | | Contract cancelled |
| 5 April 2010 | FW | Noel Whelan | | Released |
| 12 April 2010 | MF | Ross Chisholm | | Released |
| 12 April 2010 | FW | Patrick Deane | | Released |

#### Loans out

| Date | Pos | Name | To | Length |
| 6 November 2009 | DF | Rikki Bains | Blyth Spartans | Two months |
| 15 January 2010 | DF | Rikki Bains | Gateshead | End of season |
| 29 January 2010 | MF | Dan Riley | Billingham Town | One month |