Darlington Football Club quit its Feethams ground in the town in 2003 to move into a new stadium.

But the land's owner Darlington Cricket Field Trust, which also owns the adjacent cricket club, could not sell it because of ongoing legal problems.

Now the dispute has been resolved the four-acre site is to be sold "probably" as residential development.

Darlington FC rented the land off the Trust but it had to be decided who owned the ground's property, such as stands and floodlights, before it could be sold.

Lawyers have now decided that the Trust owns everything at the ground and it can now be sold.

Totally vandalised

Darlington Cricket club chairman, Brian Johnson, said: "There was a chance that the football club could have tried to claim ownership of the east stand at the ground, for example, and other fixtures and possibly dismantle and sell them.

"So we had to establish we owned everything before we could proceed - I was entirely relieved when we were given permission to sell the land.

"We have had a nightmare two years and it has been impossible to maintain any comprehensive security. As a result the ground has been totally vandalised.

"Once it is cleared it will be sold. I don't know what it will be used for, but in my own experience the main likelihood will be a residential development."