Fans who turned out in their thousands at the weekend for troubled Darlington Football Club were set a new challenge last night - to do it all over again.

More than 14,200 supporters packed into the Reynolds Arena on Sunday, creating a carnival atmosphere for one of the most extraordinary occasions in the Quakers' 120-year history.

The record crowd, which saw two celebrity matches, generated a windfall of nearly £100,000 that will prove invaluable over the coming months to the administrators now running the club.

But they warned that it was only half-time in the fight to secure the Quakers' immediate future, and called for another huge show of support at Saturday's league game against Rochdale.

Joint administrator David Field, of Wilson Field, said: "People need to be aware that it's not over and done with now. They need to keep supporting the club. It will show to any prospective purchaser that they can get a return on their investment."

Darlington manager David Hodgson said: "It is not over and this doesn't mean we are safe. We need a crowd of 6,500 to break even or we are back to square one. Please carry on the support."

He said the money raised on Sunday would not cover administrators' fees and would be ploughed into the club's running costs.

Darlington Supporters' Trust also backed the call for fans to set another bumper attendance figure.

With Middlesbrough and Newcastle United playing away, it is hoped that fans from throughout the region will get behind a fellow North-East club.

The Northern Echo is supporting the campaign with its Sponsor a Minute initiative. Mr Hodgson's daughters, Brogan and Alessia, have already contributed to the appeal.