Football club owe �3,500 to hotel

Ms Ellwood says �3,500 means a lot to her business

The owner of a hotel where a Darlington FC striker is staying claims she could go out of business because the club has not paid his £3,500 bill.

Julia Ellwood, from The Devonport, says she treats Liam Hatch like a son, even doing his washing and ironing.

He has spent six months there since returning on loan to the club, which went into administration in February.

Darlington's administrators said if they settled the bill they would also have to pay other creditors.

The club agreed to pay £50 a night for the 26-year-old's accommodation at the hotel, in Middleton One Row.

Ms Ellwood said: "He's become part of the Devonport. He spends time fishing with the locals and he's become part of the community while here's been here.

"A lot of footballers have stayed here in the past... I've got my own children and they're away from home, so I tend to take them on, look after them and help them do their washing and ironing and I'm generally there if they need any support."

Liam Hatch is on loan to Darlington from Peterborough Utd

She says she has received no indication about how much of the bill will be paid, or when she will get the money.

Dave Clark, of administrators Brackenbury Clark and Co, said the club's creditors had to be treated equally.

He said: "Going public is not going to make me change the rules. It's not going to make me do something that is unfair to other creditors.

"I sympathise with everyone who is owed money by the club, but I don't think a £3,500 liability is going to put her out of business."

Ms Ellwood added: "To me £3,500 is actually a lot of money. It's a hard business to be in at the moment, pubs and hotels, so any loss is a great loss."