A CHARITY football day takes place on Saturday to raise money for a club ripped apart by the Japanese tsunami.

Northern Leagues United is an initiative to generate funds for Japanese side Cobaltore Onagawa which was hit by the tsunami in April where a 15-metre tidal wave hit the north-east coast of Japan.

Although no players or staff were killed, it is believed that many of their supporters were among the 1,000 people unaccounted for.

The players stayed in the town to help with the relief effort, with Cobaltore's ground becoming a makeshift shelter.

The club had initially been brought to the attention of writer Mike Innes, who wrote an article about a Japanese football club with many parallels to an average Northern League team, but the tsunami changed the story dramatically.

The story gathered pace, and Onagawa Supporters was formed, which has since supplied Cobaltore with kit and equipment.

Three separate matches take place today to raise money for Cobaltore Onagawa and Birtley Town.

Event organiser Michael Hudson said: "The money we raise will help keep Cobaltore going. I don't think we need to tell people in North-East England how important a football team can be to a small community.

"For the town of Onagawa it's a ray of light, one of the few remaining bits of glue that keeps binding the place together."

Northern Leagues United will take place from 11.30am at the Birtley Sports Ground near the Angel of the North.

Birtley's Under-17 and Under-18 sides will start the day off with an hour-long friendly, followed by a Football Writers vs Northern League Fans match for the Onagawa Cup at 1pm.

Among those planning to take part are Simon Bird from The Mirror, Mark Douglas (The Journal and Sunday Sun), Joe Daunt (Metro Radio), Simon Pryde (BBC Radio Newcastle), Richard Mason, Nick Loughlin and Paul Fraser (Northern Echo), Iain Macintosh (The New Paper and Sports Illustrated), Grant Russell (STV), Ian Cusack (When Saturday Comes), Stuart Fuller (The Ball is Round), Jeff Livingstone and David Hartrick (In Bed With Maradona), and Paul Chow and Paul Robinson, two of Whitley Bay's Wembley heroes.

The fans' team will be coached by Ian Chandler, a four-time FA Vase winner as Whitley Bay player and manager.

At 3pm Birtley Town will be playing fellow Northern League side Ryton and Crawcrook Albion.

Entrance is £3 for adults and £1 for those aged over 65 or under 16. All proceeds will go to Cobaltore Onagawa and Birtley Town, a club which, despite having no major sponsor, has an FA Charter Standard award for its work in the community and maintains youth teams at every age group.

Hudson added: "The cash will help Birtley develop their facilities and help secure the youth and senior football in the town. We're hoping for a big crowd not just for financial reasons but also to reward players and staff who've been turning out for two years without any money.

"If anyone deserves some support, they do. Of course, we'd also love to break Cobaltore's record attendance of 470. It would be massive symbolically if the football fans of north-east England - and of the world's oldest grassroots league - could show their support for a town and football club in north-east Japan."

The day will also mark the official opening of a new volunteer-built clubhouse at the ground.

More information is available at northernleagueday.wordpress.com