THE Northern League will not be affected by the administration of its main sponsor, it was claimed last night.

Skill Training Ltd, which employed 12 people in Darlington and 44 in Annfield Plain, County Durham, called in financial services firm Grant Thornton last week when it was unable to pay staff.

The company, which was the main sponsor of The Northern League, had run out of money, the administrators said.

Administrator Chris Petts said: “The wages were due on Friday and the company couldn’t afford to pay them.”

But its commercial arm, STL Commercial, is still trading and Northern League chairman Mike Amos said that meant the sponsorship would continue.

Mr Amos said: “They assure us the sponsorship will be continuing through the commercial arm.

“It is a five-year deal and they are only one year into it.”

Skill Training’s troubles follow a decision by the Learning and Skills Council, which became part of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) on April 1, to dispense with its services.

The SFA said that Skill Training was given three months’ notice that its contract was to be terminated on March 11.

The firm, which was set up in Derwentside more than 30 years ago, had come to rely on the Learning and Skills Council for more than 90 per cent of its work, so when the organisation pulled out it was effectively left with no work.

Staff made redundant will have to submit claims to the Redundancy Payment Service and Mr Petts said he expected them to get some of their money owed.

But he did not expect anyone to take on the company adding: “Effectively, when we were appointed the business had pretty much ceased.”