HARTLEPOOL UNITED’S home game with Wrexham on Saturday – dubbed as #savepoolsday – is heading for a sell-out.

Almost 5,500 tickets have been sold for the encounter, with Victoria Park expected to be full to 7,229 capacity.

Only a handful of seats remain for both the Cyril Knowles and Mill House Stands.

The club is urging fans to buy tickets in advance as none are likely to be available on the day.

Pools need to raise around £200,000 by January 25 to try and stave off the threat of administration.

An on-line fund raising page last night stood at over £47,000 with the money going to pay wages and operating costs, bills and a VAT payment which is imminent.

Club president Jeff Stelling was in talks last night with an interested party, who could invest in the club or take over. It is understood representatives of the club’s Supporters’ Trust were also involved.

An open meeting for fans takes place this evening at the Steelworks Club in Westbourne Road the town from 7.30pm.

All supporters are encouraged to go to debate the situation.

A number of fund raising initiatives will be discussed ahead of the weekend’s National League game.

Among the donations to the on-line campaign was £2,500 by Blackburn’s former Middlesbrough and Sunderland striker Danny Graham.

He almost signed for Pools in 2008 under Danny Wilson.

Graham scored for Carlisle against Pools after joining the Cumbrians from Boro and admitted: “For me it was Carlisle United that provided a great platform as a young player trying to establish myself.

“Hartlepool were in the same league then and I remember playing there and scoring two in 2-2 draw.

“I saw then first-hand it’s a fantastic club and so well supported so I do genuinely hope it gets sorted.”

Of his donation, he said: “My brother is on Twitter - I don’t do all that anymore - but he told me about it.

“I live in Wynyard now, so it’s actually only up the road from Hartlepool.

“I’m from Gateshead so I know what North-East football means to everyone in the region, I just thought it would be a nice gesture to try and help out. Hopefully it gets a few more involved.

“They’re a well-supported team and it would be such a shame for any fans to lose their club.

“Football is a big part of people’s lives, particularly in the North East, and I know what that’s like from growing up there, so it was just a gesture to try and give a little extra help.

“Hopefully somewhere down the road they will properly sort it out.

“Slipping out of the Football League will have hurt them massively but hopefully they can get it turned around.”