Spennymoor United are on the verge of closing after they failed to fulfil a fixture last night for the third time this season.

Owner Benny Mottram, who has long threatened to pull the plug, is ready to withdraw the club from the UniBond League.

They were due to play Bridlington in a Premier Division game last night and Mottram, who saved the club from going out of existence three years ago, said: "We couldn't raise a team. I am going to telephone the league to inform them of the situation and speak to the chief executive. It cannot go on like this.

"I discovered that two of our players, keeper Darren Horrigan and striker Tommy Raw, have joined other clubs.

"I wasn't told that other clubs had made approaches. It meant we couldn't raise a team.

"We've rung around trying to get a keeper, but we can't get hold of one.

"Even if we did, would the player want to be going to Leek Town, for example, on Monday night? Would we then have the same problem again?

"This is a culmination of things, everything has been going wrong, especially over the last week.

"It's very sad that I've had to do this, because I haven't been at Spennymoor for profit."

But while the days of senior football appear over, Mottram is vowing to carry on the name of the club at other levels.

He said: "To satisfy the terms of the lease - if a lease exists that is - from Spennymoor Town Council and to make sure the club continues, we'll run a ladies team and a junior team under the name of Spennymoor United."

Mottram has been in dispute with the council over the lease for some time.

Relationships were not helped by the destruction of the clubhouse by a fire on Christmas Day 2003.

Only a shell, covered in graffiti, remains and crowds have dropped into double figures this season.

The resignation caps a turbulent week for Moors, in which manager Graeme Clark resigned after the defeat at Gateshead last Friday, secretary Thomas Metcalfe resigned for health reasons, and the club had three points deducted and were fined £500 for failing to fulfil their fixture at Leek Town last month.

Mottram lodged an appeal against being fined £500 for the club failing to fulfil their Presidents' Cup tie at Witton Albion a month ago and the FA later threatened to suspend the club for failing to pay an invoice from Hartlepool United after two players were loaned there last season.

The club were also ordered to complete ground improvements necessary to stay in the Premier Division.

UniBond League secretary Duncan Bayley said last night: "I haven't been informed that Spennymoor have resigned from the league. We won't speculate on what will happen, because we don't wash our dirty linen in public.

"A club resigning from the league isn't something that we're accustomed to. We'll take it as it comes."

Moors' record will be expunged from the league records, which could mean a shake-up of the relegation and promotion positions.

They could also be fined at least another £500 for withdrawing from the competition.

Spennymoor's resignation now casts doubt over their Brewery Field tenants, Bishop Auckland.

Bishops have hired the ground from Spennymoor this season after the UniBond League prevented them from playing their games at Shildon.

They still have several home games remaining.

Bishops are also worried that if they avoid relegation they might still be relegated because the Brewery Field isn't up to Premier Division standard.