A TOWN football club will hold a social night and memorabilia auction next month to kick start its future.

Willington AFC is aiming for a place in the first division of the Albany Northern League and a revamp for its Hall Lane ground.

In its heyday 10,000 turned out to follow Willington, in the 1950s, but at the last home game players outnumbered supporters.

To boost the club's coffers, club and Northern League mementoes will be auctioned and ex-Sunderland striker Eric Gates will be speaker at Willington Workingmen's Club on November 1.

Willington AFC's new chairman John Phelan said: "This event should be great fun and the money raised will help the club, probably to improve facilities."

Among the auction lots is a football signed by Middlesbrough's 1988/89 team including Bernie Slaven, who helped the club five years ago by playing in a fundraising match.

Mr Phelan said: "We considered including a signed photograph of Pele, which a local man asked him to sign in 1986 for the club, but took him off the transfer list as he's worth more to us than the £100 it was valued at."

Tickets for the event are available on match days or call John Phelan on (01388) 768551.