CASH-STRAPPED Darlington Football Club is urging supporters to turn out in force for its last home game of the season - yet another historic occasion in the Quakers' history.

Saturday's league match against Swansea City represents the last chance this season for townspeople to show their support for the players and manager David Hodgson, who have battled through a torrid time.

After a calamitous season off the pitch, the club's administrators and the 1,300-strong supporters' trust called for strong backing from fans to help bring the curtain down on the season on a high note.

Darlington went into administration at Christmas, with debts of more than £20m.

But the Quakers are still in business after months of uncertainty and the talks that could decide the club's long-term future will be held shortly.

This weekend's game will be the first since the Reynolds Arena signs were removed from the south side of the club's Neasham Road home.

And, after next weekend's match away to Scunthorpe, administrators will sit down to decide the club's fate.

Supporters' trust secretary Pete Ashmore said: "David Hodgson and the players deserve a huge show of support at the last home game for what they have done this season.

"Nobody will ever forget what the manager achieved with the celebrity fundraising game in January and things have been turned around in the league.

"It is well documented that the past few months have been a very difficult and uncertain time, so we hope as many people as possible will get along on Saturday to back Darlington."

Joint administrator David Field said the club would not have survived this long without the efforts of Mr Hodgson and his team.

Mr Field will sit down at the end of the season to consider whether the club can go on.

At present, its fate lies in the hands of stadium owner the Sterling Consortium and former chairman George Reynolds.

Sterling is reluctantly trying to take over the club but must find some kind of agreement with Mr Reynolds to do so.

Mr Field said: "If anything happens between George and Sterling we will respond and send a proposal to creditors straight away."

Football memorabilia to be raffled at Darlington's last home game of the season on Saturday.

ARSENAL striker Thierry Henry, the newly-crowned Player's Player of the Year, has lent his support to Darlington Football Club by donating his signed Champions League shirt.

The Premiership title winner's shirt, which has the Champions' League emblem on one sleeve, is among football memorabilia to be raffled at Darlington's last home game of the season on Saturday.

All the money raised will go towards the club's running costs.

Other items to be raffled include signed shirts worn by Paul Gascoigne, Kenny Dalglish and Chris Waddle during a charity game in January which raised £130,000 for the Quakers.

Tickets, costing £5 a strip, are available from Darlington Football Club, The Northern Echo's main reception at Priestgate, Olympic Mini Stores, Farmway, Cummins Engineering and Darlington Borough Council.

Henry's shirt was supplied by GNJ Sports Management.

Read more about the Quakers here.