THE organisers of a charity football match featuring television soap stars have been warned they will be breaking the laws of the game because it is in the close season.

Northern League champions Durham City FC's Archibald Stadium will host the Emmerdale All Stars versus Durham XI match on Sunday, June 1 during a fun day for DebRA, the charity for sufferers of the skin-blistering condition epidermolysis bullosa. The rare inherited condition was highlighted when victim Jonny Kennedy, from Alnwick, in Northumberland, appeared in a TV documentary, called The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off.

The FA said the match would breach its rules if both sides fielded full teams of 11 players.

The type of match that can take place on grounds registered with the FA out of season is limited and does not include charity fixtures.

The club's commercial director, Ken Waterhouse, who organised the event unaware of the rule, branded it "crazy" and said the event would go ahead with teams of nine.

"The rules are that you can have international matches and matches in the Premier League and Football League, but you cannot have a match that will raise money for a worthwhile charity.

"The worry is that if you broke the rule, there could be fines, or even suspensions.

"We can't cancel now - The Emmerdale lads have booked their hotel and they are doing it for free. We'll have to do it with nine players, with roll on, roll off, although we would rather have 11.

Northern League chairman Mike Amos said it was "ironic'' the FA was enforcing the law over a charity match when it had "broken its own rules'' in allowing the club to take up promotion to the Unibond League Division One North.

He said Durham missed the deadline for completing ground improvements but won its appeal to the FA to take its place in the higher league.

An FA spokesman said the rule was made "in deference to summer sports" in 1891 and also had "an element of protecting players''.

"It would be legal to have an 11-a-side game on a public park, but on a ground registered with the FA it will have to have fewer players."

The event starts at 2pm and admission costs £2.50, or £1 for concessions. For details, call 0191-386-9616 or visit durhamcityafc.co.uk