Thousands of pounds raised by fans to help the cash-strapped Quakers may still be used to buy shares in the club, it was revealed last night.

A crisis fund to ensure Darlington FC stayed open after it went into voluntary liquidation was launched by the club's supporters' trust earlier this year. It now stands at about £55,000.

The threat of closure hanging over the club was lifted last week after a rescue package put forward by new owners, the Sterling Consortium, was accepted by creditors.

Trust board member Tony Taylor told The Northern Echo that it was too early to start making decisions on how the fund should be used. But he added: "Our attitude is very much that the fund was raised with a view to buying equity in the football club.

"We are still waiting to see the full extent of Sterling's involvement with the club. Until we know how long Sterling is planning to stay around we are looking at it as still being very much part of that process."

He said the trust board planned to find out what members wanted the money to be spent on.

"We are quite open about the fund," he said. "It's in an interest-earning bank account.

"As a trust board we are saying let's take stock of the situation before we rush into any major decisions.

"We want to work with the football club and we are still looking at pursuing several fundraising issues."