YORK City defender Richard Hope has revealed how he turned down a summer move to Darlington because of controversial owner George Reynolds.

Hope decided instead to sign a short-term contract at Bootham Crescent after being unimpressed during a meeting with Reynolds and manager Mick Tait, who has since left the club and been replaced by David Hodgson.

The 25-year-old made his Football League debut for Darlington under Hodgson in 1997 but is suspended for Saturday's trip to his former club.

He will, however, be able to assist City boss Chris Brass in his preparations for the Reynolds Arena clash, having trained with Darlington in the pre-season.

Hope said: "I turned down Darlington in the summer and do not regret coming here instead one little bit. I went for a day's training there and had a meeting with George Reynolds and Mick Tait but it did not go well.

"It was clear that George Reynolds did not want to spend money on the team. I sat with George Reynolds and you feel like he's trying to put you down all the time.

"He did not seem to have much respect for who Mick Tait wanted to bring in and just wanted to talk about the stadium.

"Mick Tait even apologised for how George Reynolds was with me but, unfortunately, there are some people in the game who do not have a clue about football and he's one of them.

"There's a lot of young players there who are willing and not bad players but Mick Tait could have done with strengthening the side and there's not much depth to the squad."

Darlington have not won any of their last 12 matches.

It is a run that stretches back to September and includes nine defeats but Hope believes new boss Hodgson has the managerial ability to lift the club from its current position of second bottom in the Third Division and advises City to take nothing for granted.

He said: "David Hodgson signed me from Blackburn and I have a lot of respect for him. He gave me my first taste of first-team football at 18 when most managers go for experience.

"He's football through and through. Under him, you get the ball off the keeper and build from the back. He would never ask the keeper to kick it long.

"He's good friends with Kenny Dalglish and they have the same football principles. We did well at home but lost a lot of away games while I was there because we played too much football.

"They were good times though and we were never down there struggling."

Hope was also left out of City's 1-1 home draw with Darlington back in September when Brass preferred Leigh Wood and said last night: "Maybe I'm fated not play against them."

Hope is unavailable for the Reynolds Arena clash after picking up five yellow cards this season and will also miss the following three fixtures against Torquay, Kidderminster and Hull after being sent off along with Swansea striker Lee Trundle at the weekend when Hope believed a caution for both players would have been sufficient.

He said: "He was on the ball and turned to face me. I tackled him and he did not like it because I think he's used to getting things his own way and scoring a goal.

"He then stopped me from getting up and we both fell to the floor.

"I thought it was may be going to be yellow cards but the referee consulted the linesman and he said it was two red cards."

Both players were dismissed in the 18th minute but Hope has now revealed that he would have been replaced at half-time anyway because of a foot injury that has seen him miss training this week.

He said: "I was struggling when I started the game because I kicked the bottom of a player's boot instead of the striking the ball in training on Friday and I could not walk properly. I had an injection in my foot to take the pain away and I was just trying to get through to half-time really.

"But if I had not been suspended I would have still made sure I was fit to face Darlington by icing it all week."

Updated: 11:37 Wednesday, December 03, 2003