A NORTH-EAST football club that wrongfully sacked a commercial manager has been ordered to pay her a five-figure sum in damages.

Darlington Football Club must pay Helen Coverdale £12,400 after she won a claim for unfair dismissal and breach of contract at Newcastle industrial tribunal.

It is believed that flamboyant club chairman George Reynolds will appeal against the decision.

Miss Coverdale was sacked from her post at the third division club after her affair with a married club director, Mike Metcalf, 38, came to light.

She was involved in a confrontation with her lover's wife in front of fans at a half-time match and then sacked.

A tribunal hearing in January ruled that the former commercial worker had been wrongfully dismissed.

She had applied to the court for a five per cent share of the club's commercial activities.

At a resumed hearing in April Miss Coverdale clashed with multi-millionaire chairman George Reynolds over claims she had sold her story to a national newspaper for £11,000.

It is the second tribunal that the club has lost within a year.

In November it was ordered to pay former bar supervisor Tracy Bailey, from Darlington, £8,500 in compensation following a claim for unfair dismissal.

George Reynolds hit out against the trend for compensation culture following the tribunal's ruling.

He said: "Basically if you don't want to go to tribunals, don't employ people. It's not worth the hassle."

In January Mr Reynolds shelved a major investment plan for Coundon, County Durham, after losing both tribunals.

Following the tribunal decision Miss Coverdale said: "I am obviously very leased with the outcome. The money was never the most important issue. I wanted to see justice done for the way I was treated."