DARLINGTON and Middlesbrough must play their delayed EDF Intermediate Cup third round tie tomorrow, with the winners facing a tough trip in the fourth round.

They will be away to the winners of the Walsall v Sheffield Tigers tie on January 17, when West Hartlepool must visit Midlands Two West leaders Burton.

That also looks like being a difficult game for West as Burton have won ten of their 11 league games this season and won their third round cup tie last week 24-16 at Hinckley, who are a level above them in Midlands One.

Walsall are in the same division as Burton and lie third from the bottom, so Sheffield Tigers will be expected to win there. Neither Boro nor Darlington would relish another visit to face the Tigers, having already lost there in North One this season.

After last week’s postponement, when the Blackwell Meadows pitch was waterlogged, Darlington have had to put back the scheduled league visit of Beverley. Boro were due to visit West Park St Helens.

While trying to address their problems on the field, Darlington are also taking important steps to secure their financial future.

With escalating utility bills meaning it costs them £3,000 a week just to open the doors, they have applied for Community Amateur Sports Club status.

If successful, it will bring 80 per cent relief in the general rates, which would be a saving of around £5,700. But water rates will be unaffected and that is one of the areas causing most concern.

Water companies are to start basing their charges on a club’s surface area rather than its rateable value, which makes an enormous difference where a large car park comes into the calculations.

The Rugby Football Union are lobbying to find some form of exemption for their clubs from a charge which could bankrupt some of them.

For sports clubs with CASC status membership fees and cash donations can be paid using Gift Aid, which provides a tax refund of £28 for every £100 donated.

Darlington’s club secretary Peter Sanderson said: “Technically we are a closed club in that we could turn down applications for membership, although it hasn’t happened.

That doesn’t sit comfortably with applying for grants from bodies like Sport England.

“As part of our application for CASC status we have written a new constitution with a view to being a more open club.

“The Inland Revenue have suggested some slight alterations and we will be trying to fit in with those. We will need to have an extraordinary general meeting as soon as we can.”

Chairman Bill Jones added: “Sporting organisations such as ours provide an invaluable amenity for the town. We provide opportunities for youngsters from the age of seven to 19 to play a wonderful game, which teaches them many skills, both sporting and social.

We also field three senior teams as well as a ladies’ XV.”

■ After two blank weekends Stockton visit Ryton tomorrow and are hoping some of their players have recovered from injuries.

Andy Bare returns after a finger injury in place of teenage winger Shaun MacLaren, and student Tom Jeffery is available at full back.

Former Billingham prop Dan Youdale makes his debut and skipper Wayne Brown moves forward from the back row as locks Ian Todd, Keith Etherington , Mark Skirving and Phil Austen are all still unavailable. Anthony Parkinson takes Brown’s place in the back row.