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PN
First question obviously, was it a difficult decision to leave Carlisle last week?
MB-W
It was in a way, obviously I haven't played regular football for the past 18 months to two years. So, from that point of view it was an easy decision to make really because I needed to go and play football.
But, obviously to come and to drop down to the Conference was the difficult side of the choice. So, it was swings and roundabouts really, I needed to play football so it made it a little bit easier for me.
PN
Obviously, some good memories of your time at Brunton Park?
MB-W
Yeah, I have got some fantastic memories you know. Obviously, the first season was a real sort of highlight really, we did ever so well until the last three or four games of the season.
Obviously, the Wembley appearance last year was really, really pleasing, something I ticked off on my wish list when I was a kid, something I wanted to do. I made lots of friends and had lots of good times there, it is just a shame the football side of it didn't go too well in the last 18 months.
PN
Yeah, obviously it has been a frustrating 18 months as you say, obviously the lack of first-team opportunities has been frustrating for you?
MB-W
Yeah, it has, it is never nice to not play and when you go for the sort of period that I have mentioned before it just feels like sometimes you are banging your head against a wall. I am not the type of person that wants to sit there and grump and groan and moan too much, but there comes a point where you have got to go and play football, especially at the age that I am at now as well.
PN
Yeah, did you feel as though perhaps the writing was on the wall given the fact you had a very good pre-season but not really had a look in so far this year?
MB-W
Yeah, to be quite honest I did, obviously last season was difficult, I spoke to Greg (Abbott) at the end of last season and he basically said to go away and come back fit and raring to go, and if you are doing well then you have got a shot at getting back in the team.
Obviously, pre-season I thought went particularly well for myself, as it did with most of the lads, and up until the week before the season started I really thought I had got a good chance of being in that first eleven come the first game of the season.
But, obviously Greg had different ideas and from that point really it felt like a losing battle to be quite honest. But, these things happen in football and we move on and we look forward now.
PN
Yeah, obviously, you are now a Darlington player, how much are you enjoying getting some regular first-team football there?
MB-W
Yeah, it is great, it is great to feel a part of things again and really have something to strive for. As I said, the last sort of few months especially at Carlisle it was tough knowing that you weren't really a part of things, and however well you seemed to be doing that you were not really going to get a chance.
So, obviously, coming to Darlington now and being a first-team player again, it is really great to be in that scenario and it is good to go out on a Saturday and give it your all.
PN
And the aim now I guess obviously is to help get Darlington back into the Football League, how realistic do you think that is going to be?
MB-W
It is going to be tough, obviously this is predominantly the toughest league to get out of, it has been over numerous years. Obviously, there are only two teams that go up, one automatic and one through the play-offs. So, I think in League Two for instance there are four teams go up, so obviously it is going to be a lot tougher.
I think obviously the set-up at Darlington, it is a professional club, it is a Football League club that just happens to be in the wrong divisoin at this moment in time. I think with all the stuff that has gone on over the last few years there, basically the soul has been ripped out of the club to be quite honest.
But, it seems with the chairman (Raj Singh) and the manager (Mark Cooper) that are there now that there is a lot of stability. Not only in the playing staff area but behind the scenes, and I think that it is a club really that is looking to go on the up. Hopefully I have joined at the right time and we can do that and get back into the Football League.