ENGLAND soccer legend Bryan Robson last night urged North-East fans to turn out in their thousands for two star-studded matches in aid of cash-strapped Darlington Football Club.

The former Middlesbrough boss, nicknamed Captain Marvel during an illustrious playing career, is among a host of famous names to have responded to pleas to help save the Quakers from extinction.

Ex-Manchester United captain Robson sounded the rallying cry as more than 400 fans packed into a public meeting to hear the latest on Darlington Supporters' Trust's efforts to rescue the club.

Robson, now in charge of Bradford City, will be running out at the Reynolds Arena on Sunday - alongside the likes of Peter Beardsley, Kenny Dalglish, Paul Gascoigne and Ally McCoist - for two crucial fundraising matches.

"Everybody needs to rally round to help out when clubs are struggling," Robson told The Northern Echo last night.

He said of the club's manager: "I know David Hodgson from his last spell as manager of Darlington, and I told him I was quite happy to come along and help out.

"It's sad to see a North-East club in this way, but it's a tremendous stadium and hopefully somebody can come in and turn things round."

The Quakers' future was plunged into uncertainty on December 23 when former chairman George Reynolds called in the administrators to avoid a winding-up order by the Inland Revenue.

At last night's meeting in the Dolphin Centre, dozens more people joined the trust as it outlined how it hopes to raise a crisis fund of £250,000 by the end of March.

And the message from representatives of supporters' trusts at Notts County and York City was: "It is not mission impossible."

They told how they raised about £750,000 in total to save their clubs - and urged Quakers fans not to give up hope.

They also pledged to hold bucket collections for Darlington at their next home games.

Tony Taylor, a board member of the Darlington Supporters' Trust, said it was hopeful of launching a bid for the club and stadium, as part of a consortium of local businessmen.

"Our business plan is currently under scrutiny from independent advisors," he said.

He ended his speech to the packed hall by saying: "We believe we can save this football club, so let's get on and do it."

But David Field, of administrators Wilson Field, again stressed that bumper crowds were needed on Sunday - and at the league game against Rochdale on January 31 - to prevent the club folding.

"It's quite possible that, if we don't get enough people through the doors over the next two games, we won't survive February," he said.

* Read about the Quakers in crisis and download the supporters' trust membership form at: www.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/sport/football.

* It has emerged that an historic steam engine nameplate could hold the key to the club's short-term survival. See Page 9