A CRICKET club chairman has batted away accusations of a lack of transparency over the proceeds from the sale of land at Feethams – Darlington FC’s former home.

Earlier this month the management committee of the Feethams Cricket Field Trust received a report on the sale of the land and in an agenda item discussed how to deal with the share of the proceeds.

Brian Johnson, the chairman of Darlington Cricket Club, was asked about the outcome by The Northern Echo, but said it was a “private matter” and “nothing to do with the public”.

The club and the trust – which owns the land – have previously faced questions both about the sale of the land for a housing development and whether money from the sale should be invested in a greater sporting purpose and not just on cricket facilities.

The dispute hinges on the wording of a deed of foundation, or covenant , drawn up when the trust came into being more than a hundred years ago.

Mr Johnson said: “The proceeds of the sale belong to the cricket club and some part of it belongs to the trust.

“There is no question of any public interest, this is a private trust to protect the land for cricket.”

He said the cash paid for the land by the Esh Group had been used to restore the club’s pavilion and the rest invested to “ensure the future of the cricket club for the foreseeable future”.

Mr Johnson said he would be willing to meet Darlington MP Jenny Chapman, who is among those who have expressed concerns.

He said the MP had been invited to a recent trust meeting, but was not able to attend.

In October 2013 Doug Embleton and Shaun Campbell, from the Save Feethams campaign, wrote to the Attorney General (AG) to question the procedural legality of the land sale.

But the enquiry came to nothing following a request for further information from the AG’s office.

Mr Embleton said if the cricket club was sat on a six figure sum of money, as has been speculated, it was a “hell of a lot for no transparency”.

Mr Campbell said the cricket club should as a gesture of goodwill and in recognition of its long partnership with the football club make a “significant donation” in order to fund the Quakers’ planned return to Darlington.