THE new chief executive of Darlington Football Club yesterday told of his hopes that the new-look Quakers will become a thriving force in the region.

Only days after creditors accepted a deal allowing the Sterling Consortium to take charge, Andy Battison said the financiers were not about to "cut and run".

He said he expected Sterling, which stepped in as a last resort to protect a £4m investment in the club, to be at Darlington for a number of years as part of the rebuilding process.

The chartered accountant also revealed that several well-known names from the football world were being considered for key off-the-field roles.

The take-over has yet to be ratified by the Football League, but Mr Battison and Sterling Consortium financier Stewart Davies will meet officials from the governing body in Preston, on June 7, to present their case.

League bosses are not expected to stand in the way and their approval would leave Sterling, which has made several loans to football clubs in the past, in the unexpected position of owning one.

The group's involvement has raised eyebrows among supporters, but Mr Battison said he did not expect Sterling to get out quickly.

"Everybody tells me Sterling are not interested in football - dead right," he admitted. "But they're now in a situation where they've got to run it and make it work to actually see any sort of return or, indeed, just get their money back.

"Let's be under no illusion now - they've got to stay and make it work."