A PIECE of Darlington FC history has been offered to the club for use when it finds a permanent home.

Businessman Tony Ward, from demolition contractor TM Ward, told the club it can have the legendary Tin Shed stand.

The stand remains at the site of the former Feethams stadium, in Darlington.

TM Ward was appointed to demolish the stadium when the club moved to the Darlington Arena in 2003.

As part of the deal, the company became the owner of the stands.

Although other structures were removed, the Tin Shed was left at the request of the cricket club, where it currently provides what is believed to be the largest cricket sight screen in the UK.

However, County Durham-based Esh Group was given planning permission for 146 homes on the site in 2009 and work is expected to start shortly.

Mr Ward said: “There will come a time when the structure will be excess to the cricket club’s requirements and I would be delighted if the fans of Darlington Football Club had use of the Tin Shed again.

“I have watched the progress both on and off the field with interest and admire what has been done and am very pleased to give the club a fillip in this way.”

The gift was welcomed by Darlington FC 1883 (DFC 1883) chairman Denis Pinnegar.

He said: “This is great for the fans and exactly what we said we would try to do a few months ago.

“It is a super example of what a community can do together, and we are very grateful to Tony and his colleagues for their generosity.

“The search for a new ground for the club has begun in earnest, and the availability of the Tin Shed is another example of the history of Darlington FC being preserved.”

In an update to members, the club yesterday revealed that 500 people joined the Quakers community interest company (CIC) before the start of the season.

The CIC is the single largest shareholder in DFC 1883 and it is anticipated that it will hold about half of the voting rights.

No date has been set for the DFC 1883 annual meeting, although it is likely to take place next month.