JOHN TEMPEST has moved to clarify his position as an unpaid director of Darlington, after it emerged last night that he received a five-figure sum from the club.

Ahead of Quakers’ annual meeting later this month, when Tempest will formally resign as a director, accounts for the financial year ending June 2018 show that he received £10,500.

Yet a story on the club’s website last week included a line saying: “John has been an unpaid director of the club for four years.”

Almost inevitably some supporters expressed surprise on discovering the £10,500 figure, which was revealed on Wednesday night on social media.

However, the accounts make it clear that the money was for “a mix of commission for commercial deals delivered and payment services”.

Tempest, eager to set the record straight and speaking to The Northern Echo on Thursday, said: “My position as a director is unpaid.

“But over the last two years, before Craig Morley came in as commercial manager, we have said to people at the club that anyone who brings in something in commercially gets a 20 per cent cut of the revenue. That’s been standard, but not many have come forward.

“Almost everything commercially in the couple of years before Craig came I have brought in.

“The money is actually a shadow of what I brought in. The Virgin and the Ebac deals between them were approximately £80,000, and there’s been another £50,000. So I haven’t even taken the 20 per cent.”

Tempest, a lifelong Darlington supporter, has been a director of the club since early in 2016, when he replaced Dave Mills.

He added: “When Dave Mills left I ended up doing three roles: commercial, general manager and I ran the finances for the club, and I was not paid for any of them.

“That was the case until David Johnston came on board 18 months ago.

“Chris Stockdale took over the finances last year and he is doing a very good job.

“I wanted to step down last April but they [the club] really didn’t want me to. I agreed to do the commercial side of things, particularly May to October as they were the key months.”