MYSTERY businessman Ted Forster said last night he was prepared to pay £16.5m to gain control of Darlington Football Club.

His was the only firm bid on the table at 5pm yesterday - the deadline set by administrators for offers to be made to take over the troubled Quakers.

But the consortium of businessmen that has teamed up with Darlington Supporters' Trust confirmed it would launch a rival bid by the end of next week.

Administrators Wilson Field will be obliged to consider the bid and another potential offer, expected to be made soon, from Irish business tycoon Des Kelly.

The supporters' trust went on the offensive yesterday, stressing that its proposed bid would be backed by proven funding arrangements.

Mr Forster's offer, faxed to administrator David Field on Thursday morning, will take two weeks to investigate because there is no proof of funding.

Tony Taylor, a trust board member, said: "The trust would like to remind fans that ours is the only proposed bid with supporter representation physically built in.

"While we are keeping our options open and are prepared to enter into a dialogue with any new owner, we do feel that this is the way forward for Darlington FC, given our experiences over the last few years."

He added: "Our bid will be backed and supported by proven funding arrangements."

A holding letter has been sent to administrators, indicating that the consortium intends to make an offer but wants more time, particularly to clarify the validity of former chairman George Reynolds' claim that he is owed £19.6m.

If successful, the trust would elect a supporter-director to sit on the Quakers board.

But 53-year-old Mr Forster, who lives on the Greek island of Rhodes, said he would hand over a maximum of £16.5m to secure the business - and had already agreed a deal with Mr Reynolds.

He said: "To make sure we can pay off all the bills, George Reynolds has agreed to defer a large part of the payment to him for three years.

"I have said - and he did not ask for this - that I will give him a premium each year to make up some of what he would have lost had the money been in his bank account from day one."

He said Mr Reynolds would have no hold on the Reynolds Arena and no income from the stadium.

"The only thing I have agreed is that George will come to the ground on the odd occasion, but he must give prior warning so I can notify fans as to why he is there.

"He's not going to be the landlord, but I have agreed he can have landlord's rights."

Mr Kelly has held talks with the administrators, with fellow carpet company boss Noel Furlong and former Carlisle United manager Roddy Collins.

They are understood to have reached an advanced stage in discussions but have not yet indicated to administrators whether they will be bidding.

Mr Field said last night: "We have one bid in and we will be spending the next two weeks investigating that bid.

"At this moment, I only know for certain that I'm getting two, but I'm hoping there will be a third."