Happy ending to transfer saga

Striker Nathan Fisher finally made his debut for Darlington on Wednesday night after waiting five weeks for international clearance from Thailand.

Fisher, pictured, made his long awaited bow in the 3-1 Durham Challenge Cup win over Sunderland RCA after his transfer saga reached a successful conclusion.

Quakers and the 24-year-old frontman had been in dialogue with his former Thai club Samut Prakan Customs United to secure the documentation needed. When he left Gateshead for Thailand in the summer the English FA took two days to give him international clearance. The Thai FA's administration has been less hasty, forcing him to miss nine games since his transfer was announced on September 22.

Quakers manager Martin Gray told the Northern Echo: "It`s a bit of a relief for everyone at the club and especially for Nathan because it means he can get back to playing football now. He's trained well and has looked after himself.

"People have been working hard within the club to get it sorted and Nathan himself has been getting up at 3am nearly every night to try and speak to people in Thailand. When you think about his pedigree and the fact he's a Darlington fan, I'm delighted we can get on with playing him in games."