DARLINGTON have made their third summer signing with the arrival of Kevin Burgess from Whitby Town.

The 27-year-old centre-back had been at the Turnbull Ground since leaving Quakers in 2008, but he has now returned to the club, signing a two-year deal, following a seven-year spell with Whitby where he made 240 appearances, scoring seven goals.

He joins Tom Portas and Graeme Armstrong in making the move to Quakers and Darlington will hope he is as successful as his former team-mates were in their first season.

Manager Martin Gray said: "I am absolutely delighted with Kevin’s signing, because he has got a huge amount of experience at this level. He knows virtually all of the forwards in this league. I know him from his days at Darlington. He’s a really tough, proper competitor, and he will further strengthen our defence."

Burgess will face a reunion with his former Whitby team-mates on Saturday, August 1 when Quakers play a pre-season friendly at the Turnbull Ground. The teams will also face each other in the Evo-Stik Premier Division.

Darlington's pre-season friendlies

Burgess, who came through the ranks at Middlesbrough, made only two appearances in his first Quakers spell after joining at the end of the 2006-07 season when Dave Penney was manager and Gray was assistant.

He came off the bench in May 2007, a 5-0 defeat to Stockport County, and was also a substitute in an FA Cup defeat the following season at Northampton Town before joining Whitby on loan and then making the move permanent in the following summer.

Described as “hugely-popular” on Whitby’s official website, which goes on to say: “A multiple-time supporters' and players' player of the year, Kev's equally fearsome in the air and on the ground.”

Burgess follows Rob Youhill from Harrogate RA and Adam Nowakowski from Harrogate Town in signing for Quakers this summer.

Meanwhile, Darlington have announced their adult match day admission next season will increase by £1 to £10. Concession tickets will be £7 and under-16s £4 (under-5s will be admitted free).