TIME has run out for the most famous amateur football ground in the country, which stages the final match in a proud 116 year history on Saturday.

Ten times FA amateur cup winners Bishop Auckland are quitting their Kingsway home after the season's last home match against Bradford Park Avenue.

But the honour of turning out in the last-ever game in a stadium which has played host to some of the top sides in the land, is going to the club's loyal fans.

As well as sponsoring the league game with main backers Ebac, the Two Blues' fan club are giving supporters the chance to pay for a few minutes playing time in a special game which kicks off at 3.30pm. The league match starts at 1pm. Former player Derek Lewin who, with the famous Bobby Hardisty and Warren Bradley, went on loan to Old Trafford after Manchester United's tragic 1958 Munich air crash, is gathering together a glittering line up of past players to mark the occasion.

Club chairman Tony Duffy will be sad to say goodbye to the ground.

Discussions are being held with the Football Foundation over funding for a new stadium planned at Tindale Crescent. Northern League side Shildon have agreed to share their Dean Street ground for the next two years while the new stadium is being built.

Mr Duffy said: "It will be sad because we have been at Kingsway since 1886 and we have had many good days. The ground is part of football history.

"The place was packed in our amateur cup winning days of the Fifities but standards have changed and we can't go on any longer. We have to move to progress. We need a ground with terraces on four sides and we can never get that at Kingsway. We hope as many fans as possible will turn out and make it a great day."

The Bishops face a race against time to get the ground at Shildon up to the higher standards required by the Unibond League and issued an urgent appeal to volunteers to help them meet an April 30 deadline.

The biggest job is the erection of a 1,000 capacity stand.