Ferdinand, who scored five goals in 17 appearances for England, is currently taking his Uefa B coaching licence and the certificate in applied management at Warwick University.
The watchdog's findings said Durham Police failed to properly scrutinise Atherton's 2006 application for a shotgun certificate and an application for a firearms licence two years later in 2008.
One of the club's owners is said to have confirmed that they were in the process of renewing its licence to operate, and that its fire safety certificate had expired last year.