SPORTING, music and religious events must be staged at a football stadium if the club is to survive, a report says.

Agents acting for Darlington FC have warned that the club could go into receivership unless planning restrictions on the use of its Neasham Road stadium are relaxed.

Boxing and wrestling matches, cycling, rugby, Proms in the Park-type musical productions, religious events, and vintage and modern car rallies are some of the events the football club hopes to be able to stage at the stadium to raise money.

The club has submitted its Plan for Success to the borough council, in the hope fo proving how a successful football club could have positive repercussions for the rest of the town.

The report has been compiled by Steve Hesmondhalgh, the head of town and country planning at solicitors Blackett, Hart and Pratt.

It says: "Darlington Football Club face a number of significant financial deficiencies at the present time that are, in part, a result of the restrictions that exist and also a reflection of the somewhat over-ambitious attempt to develop a stadium or arena of the size that currently exists on the site."

The club has said if it is allowed to carry out non-football activities at the stadium it would commit to legally binding agreements to restrict the noise from the stadium to 93 decibels, properly control transport and travel at the site and have officially designated people responsible for liaising with outside bodies.

Mr Hesmondhalgh said: "The football club have previously indicated that the investment by the previous chairman in the new arena combined with the lower-than-expected attendances at the new ground have resulted in very significant losses at the club.

"As a business, there no realistic prospect that the club can sustain this level of loss.

"The likelihood is that should this level of loss continue, the club would soon go into receivership."

Club officials have played down the likelihood of the club going out of business, but have stressed the importance to the town of putting the club on a sound financial footing.

Ownership of the club recently changed hands from chairman Stewart Davies to property magnate George Houghton.

A spokesman for the club said Mr Davies would remain at the club to help oversee the club's business strategy.

The spokesman said: "It's a matter of principle in being allowed to use the facility for the widest possible range of legitimate activities, while at the same time being a good neighbour.

"The report can stand up for itself."

The application is expected to be considered at a planning committee meeting on May 3.