CONFUSION surrounds the future of the former Feethams soccer ground.

Quakers boss David Hodgson said he had abandoned his dream of turning the football club's former stadium into a community sports centre.

He said the landlord, Darlington Cricket Club, would not lease the ground but wanted to sell it for housing.

But the cricket club said talks were still ongoing.

Mr Hodgson said he was bitterly disappointed that his scheme seemed doomed - he had envisaged a complex including five all-weather pitches.

"I know my plans have gone out the window. The cricket club is not interested in re-letting the lease but seems more concerned with the possibility of selling to a developer for homes."

Mr Hodgson said he had no plans to try to bring the scheme to fruition elsewhere.

The ground is owned by Darlington Feethams Cricket Field Trust which leases it to the cricket club. The club sublet part of the old ground to the football club until the summer of 2003 when the Quakers moved to their new base at Neasham Road.

Litigation to settle the terms of a new lease did not get to court.

Last August it was dropped by the football club administrator and the cricket club said any rights the football club had as a tenant of Feethams were lost.

Cricket club chairman Brian Johnson said he had had several informal chats with Mr Hodgson about the community sport scheme.

But he said Mr Hodgson decided to abandon the idea in November after being told the cricket club was seeking independent advice regarding the value of the land.

Housing developers have previously expressed interest in buying Feethams, but Mr Johnson said there had been no firm offers.

He said the cricket club had not made any decision about the future of the football ground and that any money from a land sale would be spent on sport in the community for young people as the cricket club was a non-profit organisation.

He said the club was still in talks with Mr Hodgson about the main East Stand.