ONE of the region's oldest amateur football clubs is facing closure after failing to get ownership of its ground.

Evenwood Town AFC, in County Durham, has said it may have to close by the end of the month after the transferral of the trusteeship of its ground was blocked by the Charity Commission.

The decision means that the club is unable to access grants for ground improvements needed to maintain its Albany Northern League (ANL) status. The club needs to carry out £100,000 of repairs to the changing rooms catering facilities, showers and heating system and in recent months it has become the target for burglars and vandals.

Delays in transferring the trusteeship of the ground has already meant it has lost out on 90 per cent funding from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund and must now find 50 per cent of the cost.

Manager Ken Houlahan was hoping to meet this through grants for the creation of a community sports facility which would include an all-weather pitch, gym, youth coffee bar, a multi-sports court and new social club.

However, these grants were dependent upon the club acquiring the trusteeship of the whole of the Randolph Social Welfare Charity, which includes the Miners Welfare Ground.

Mr Houlahan said: "I've got almost quarter of a million pounds approved, but we can't use it without the trusteeship of the ground.

"We can't believe it. We had got to the final hurdle and had agreed to transfer the whole trusteeship.

"But now we are facing closure, it will be a great loss to the community."

The club is looking into the possibility of ground-sharing with another football club but Mr Houlahan fears this would restrict the club's earning ability.

A spokeswoman for the Charity Commission said when a charity wanted to transfer governance to another charity it had to be one with similar aims and purposes.

She said: "We ruled that the objectives of Evenwood Town AFC charity were too restrictive to take responsibility for the Randolph Social Welfare charity - a charity with a far wider reaching remit."

The commission is now looking into the possibility of a formal lease arrangement with the football club.

Mike Amos, chairman of the ANL, said: "Either they have got to find a new ground or continue in a new identity

"It would be a great shame as Evenwood has been in the Northern League since 1931.

"There have been lots of appeals for help and support and very few people in Evenwood have come forward to help.