A CHAMPAGNE-SOAKED Darlington manager Martin Gray described winning the Northern League title as the proudest moment of his career, after his team finished the season in style, writes CRAIG STODDART.

Captain Gary Brown lifted the silverware after a 3-0 win over Guisborough Town, the team’s final game of a successful season.

Gray’s team have led the way from day one and last night’s win was their 40th from 46 fixtures.

The attendance of 2,001 was the club’s highest gate of for a ‘home’ game at Heritage Park and they made a huge roar when Brown and team-mates were given the trophy by Northern League president George Courtney MBE.

“The crowd at the end and those scenes were fantastic,”

said Gray. “I’m a proud manager tonight.

“Winning any championshipis always tough,but to do it in the style that we have is magnificent.

“It was a great moment and when those players have retired they will never ever forget tonight.

“Moments like that you cannot buy, they’re moments you have to cherish.

“They’ve got to keep these memories and the photographs because these are the nights you work for.”

Promotion to the Evo-Stik First Division North marks the first step in the Quakers’ quest to return to the Football League.

They were relegated from League Two in 2010, while a four-division demotion following administration last season saw them drop into the Northern League.

Gray took on the challenge of managing the club 12 months ago and has built a squad from scratch, winning promotion at the first attempt.

He added: “If anything, being a former Football League club makes it harder because everyone wants to beat you and they all raise their game. No matter who the opposition was, they all tried harder.

“Certain people wanted to see us fall, they wanted us to fall flat on our face and I’ve really enjoyed that when people have had their little pops at us on Twitter and other things, because I thrive off it.

“Their comments drove me on to prove people wrong.

You are what you are and I’m a winner.

“I want to be successful in everything that I do and if people want to try and trip me up along the way then you’ve got to be big enough to handle it.

“But what’s most important is what we’ve done and this is the proudest moment of my career.”