A TOWN's football club is facing a fight for survival after its chairman of four years announced he was quitting the club.

Fans hope that Benny Mottram's decision to leave Spennymoor United will not spell the end of the club but instead be the start of a new era.

Mr Mottram was expected to bid the club farewell on Tuesday night, when The Moors faced Frickley Athletic in the quarter- final of the Unibond League President's Cup.

He blamed apathy in the town and a long-running row with Spennymoor Town Council about the lease and rent of The Brewery Field ground, which celebrated its centenary last year, for his decision to quit the club.

Mr Mottram said: "For me, enough is enough. I don't want to be involved in the club any more.

"I don't think the people of Spennymoor want a local football team.

"I do hope it survives. If someone takes over I'll still offer sponsorship or help to build a new clubhouse."

But the town council refuted claims that it has not supported the club.

Temporary clerk Pauline Wilson said: "We did agree terms of a lease in August 2003 and haven't had any rent since then."

Leader John Marr said the council had given about £200,000 in grants, sponsorship and loans to the club in the last decade and asked for a nominal rent of only £20 a week.

Mayor John Culine said the council would talk to any individual or consortium interested in taking over the club to try to safeguard its future.

Supporters were expected to meet before Tuesday's match to try and form a survival plan for the club.

Jim Stones said: "I've followed the team for years.

"If someone new comes in, it might be a good thing, the last couple of years have not been good. It might kick start the club to do as well as the team is at the moment."

Fellow fan Roy Heale added: "People in the town just don't know if it can survive. Before Mr Mottram came we had a similar struggle."

The club, which was formed as an amalgamation of Spennymoor Town and Weardale Ironopolis, has a long and celebrated history in the town.

Although the club never achieved the same national glory as their FA Amateur Cup winning neighbours, Bishop Auckland and Crook, the semi-professional club was the only one in the North-East to get as far as the semi-finals of the FA Trophy, which the team achieved in 1978.

In its rich history the club has won the Durham Challenge Cup 16 times, the North-Eastern League four times and captured the Northern League title six times.