You must win back fans, clubs are warned.

Byline: By Simon Rushworth

The North-East's non-league football community must rally against the increasing power of Premiership football or face extinction within a decade, clubs were warned last night.

Bob Morton is appealing to Northern League clubs across the region to create a joint strategy aimed at winning back a greater share of the football-watching public.

But the Blue Star director of football believes immediate action is required, with attendances falling at an increasingly rapid rate across the non-league scene. Morton has already moved to stage the majority of his club's home fixtures on a Friday night to avoid a clash with weekend Premiership football ( starting with tonight's clash against Durham City at the Wheatsheaf Ground.

And he believes the club's Northern League rivals must follow suit before revenue streams fall too far below costs.

"In total, 59,000 people watched Northern League football last season," explained Morton.

"That's around the same as Newcastle United's weekly attendance.

"That's all the fixtures over a full season and it's far below what we need to survive.

"Somehow we need to get more people through the gates and that just won't happen on a Saturday afternoon.

"Premiership football is a monster which is pulling kids away from playing football on a Saturday afternoon and pulling fans away from watching non-league football.

"It's time to take a step back and work out how best we can bring people back to the non-league game."

Ashington boasted the top Northern League average gate last season with 159 but First Division side Nissan managed just 38. Blue Star are barely breaking even on a Saturday afternoon and Morton explained: "I need to set aside pounds 150 for payments to officials, produce a printed programme and provide hot food for the opposition.

"I'm looking at an outlay of around pounds 250 per game.

"We charge pounds 4 entry to our fixtures so that means we need 70 people through the gate to break even.

"We had an average attendance of 114 last season but that was due to midweek crowds boosting the numbers."

Morton hopes tonight's Friday night derby against a Durham City side managed by former Blue Star boss Andy Gowans will prove the springboard for a sea change in the North-East's non-league scene.

"People can come along and use the social club, watch some good football and still be in Newcastle city centre by 9.30pm to enjoy the start of the weekend," he said.

"We're five minutes' walk from Callerton Parkway Metro station and we've got great facilities at the Wheatsheaf.

"I want people to see what non-league football has to offer but there's no point kidding ourselves that we can compete with Saturday afternoon Premiership football."