CASH-STRAPPED Darlington Football Club received some good news for a change last night.

Plans to hold car boot sales at the Reynolds Arena are expected to be approved by the borough's planning committee on Wednesday.

The application was made when former chairman George Reynolds was still in charge. He claimed the club could not survive on football alone.

Now, with the Quakers in administration, planning officers have recommended that permission be granted but have warned councillors not to base their decision on the club's crisis.

The authority has received 38 letters objecting to the application and three in support.

Residents claim the car boot sales, which would be held on Sundays from 10am to 3pm, would cause noise, litter and more traffic.

Tony Taylor, from Darlington Supporters' Trust, said next week's decision could help the club, adding: "We believe that the stadium should have a good spread of commercial activities."

It was also revealed last night that the man now running the club had asked Mr Reynolds to stay away from the arena.

Administrator David Field said: "We have said to him that now he has resigned it would be better for everybody concerned for him to stay away.

"There haven't been any problems. But we felt that the perception of the people of Darlington was that because he was here at the ground, nothing had changed."

He said a statement of affairs for the club would probably not be available until the creditors' meeting on Thursday. But an information pack for prospective buyers is likely to be issued in the next few days.

A campaign by the supporters' trust to raise a £250,000 crisis fund is gathering pace.

Pub landlord David Nichols is doing his bit to raise cash for the club. Mr Nichols, licensee of The George, in Bondgate, has pledged to donate 2p for every unit of alcohol he sells today.

* Readers can fill in a form to join the supporters' trust and contribute online at www.thisisthenortheast.co. uk/sport/football