A NOMADIC Northern League club return to play at home for the first time in 18 months tonight.

Local people have been urged to rally round Murton FC on the team's reappearance at Welfare Park, in the former east Durham pit village.

Tonight's Albany Northern League division two match, against second placed Shildon (7.30), marks the start of a new era for the club.

Renovations at the ground in Church Lane have totalled £96,000, most of which has been spent on pitch repairs.

The team have been forced to play home fixtures at grounds in neighbouring villages since an underground culvert collapsed, leaving a 70ft hole in the pitch.

But after winning an £80,000 grant from the Football Foundation's Stadia Improvement Fund in the summer, the hole has been filled in and the pitch relaid.

Backed by owners, Murton Parish Council, and the Murton Welfare Association, which has a 99-year lease on the facilities, the rest of the vandal-hit ground has been brought back up to standard.

Providing eleventh hour work on the floodlights is completed in time, the ground will be given the all-clear to stage its first match since May last year.

Officials hope it will trigger a change in fortunes for the club, which has only just survived its exile without income from home games.

Chairman Tommy Torrence praised the players for their commitment to the cause.

He said he hopes the return will see the start of better things for the club.

"We have a new manager in Ray Lish, we've got new sponsorship from John Hellens and we've got new strips, so everything is in place, and we just hope it goes well on the field.

"We've been nomads and it's cost us a fortune on the money side, but we're really looking forward to getting back to playing at home," said Torrence.

An old boys team will play the present side in a friendly match to mark the official reopening of the ground later this month