FANS may have stopped singing at Darlington Football Club's former ground, but the stadium will be filled with song once again at a charity concert this summer.

The country's leading gospel group, the London Community Gospel Choir, has agreed to appear at Feethams, home of the Quakers until earlier this month, on Friday, July 4.

The concert, organised by a group of teenagers from the town's Elm Ridge Methodist Church, is expected to attract about 3,000 people and will cost £20,000 to stage.

The youngsters originally booked Christian rock band Why Friday for the venue, but the band was forced to cancel due to other touring commitments.

The London Community Gospel Choir, which was born in the aftermath of the Eighties Brixton and Toxeth riots and sang on Blur's No.2 hit single Tender, came to the rescue of the teenagers.

Martin Colam, of Darlington's DMS Productions, which is helping to stage the show, said: "The young people were frustrated more than anything when the first band Why Friday pulled out as they had managed to secure permission to use the ground, quite a feat in itself.

"TheLondonCommunity Gospel Choir were fantastic. They said 'we are playing Glasgow Festival on July 5, so we'll just stop off at Darlington on the way'. They said it was no problem."

Mr Colam is organising a 42ft stage stretching from the centre spot towards the East Stand to accommodate the choir, which has performed across the world.

The only potential problem is that next-door neighbour Darlington Cricket Club is staging a one-day county match between Durham and Lancashire earlier that day.

Mr Colam said: "We are confident the cricket will be finished well before our 8pm start time. We are just looking forward to an amazing evening."

Concert tickets, £12, £10 and £8, are available from DMS on (01325) 482286 or Ticketmaster on 0870 151 4444.

All profits will go to St Teresa's Hospice in Darlington.

l The London Community Gospel Choir will be back in the region later this year with dates at Hartlepool on September 20 and October 21, Sunderland on November 23 and in York on November 25.