FANS of a small town football team could help drink their club out of trouble.

Officials from Albany Northern League club Willington AFC have managed to strike an unusual deal with a national brewery to work its way out of debt.

Last month solicitors acting for Interbrew Ltd contacted the club demanding that it pay almost £4,000 within seven days or face legal action.

The company said the club had to pay £3,795 because it was no longer trading with Interbrew and was instead buying its products from a wholesaler.

Chairman John Phelan said there was no way the club, which is languishing in the half of ANL division two, could afford the repayments.

But now the two parties have reached a compromise, which Mr Phelan says is a huge relief for the club where finances are already stretched to the limit.

For every 36 gallon keg of beer or lager that Willington AFC sells in its sports and social club, £70 will be knocked off the bill.

Mr Phelan said: "This is such as relief. When the brewery was asking us to pay a lump sum, or even monthly repayments, I knew it was impossible. We're struggling already, on and off the pitch, and that would have been too much.

"But now we've reached this agreement there is a little less pressure on Willington and we've got extra breathing space.

"I'm pleased the brewery were able to take another look at our situation and come up with something to suit us all. Now we just need more people to start visiting the club for a drink, each barrel contains 288 pints so we need to up business to keep the brewery happy with the deal."

Mr Phelan also praised the intervention of local MP Hilary Armstrong, who urged Interbrew Ltd to understand the club's difficulties and asked for a flexible method of repayment.

Ms Armstrong said: "I know how important the football club is to the town of Willington so I'm delighted that the brewery and club have come to this agreement.

"I was very pleased to help in whatever way I could."