A TOWN football club hopes to sign up a team of dedicated supporters to help to save its league status ahead of its centenary celebrations.

Willington AFC chairman John Phelan fears the town's football heritage is at risk of being lost if the club, languishing at the foot of the Albany Northern League, cannot fight off a threat of relegation.

But he is confident that if a handful of enthusiastic football fans help the club to boost its coffers, the team could turn the season around so it is still playing in the league when it celebrates its 100th anniversary next season.

The club's Hall Lane ground has recently been modernised to league standard with almost £50,000 of grants and it recently settled a long-running debt dispute with brewery Interbrew.

The Northern League prohibits payment to players, but Mr Phelan hopes that a little extra cash could help attract key players by covering their travel expenses.

He said: "If there was an extra £50 to £60 coming into the club each week, we could possibly turn it around on the pitch now that behind the scenes things are going well.

Mr Phelan said that the people who could help don't have to be from Willington but need to be genuine football fans.

"We may be able to get two or three players of sufficient class to travel to our games and freshen-up the side or add experience it might just help."