The fundraising game is being held at the Reynolds Arena

They are all taking part in a celebrity football match at the Reynolds Arena on Sunday.

It has been organised by the club and consortium trying to save the Quakers from closure.

Earlier this week, creditors estimated the club's liabilities to be about �2m.

The current manager, David Hodgson, says he has been touched by the response from the big name players who have offered their help.

They are helping our football club and our town as well - not just the club, the whole town David Hodgson

He said: "Former England captain and probably one of the most capped players in English football, Bryan Robson, we don't have to say a thing about him because everyone knows him in the North East.

"We've got Peter Beardsley, we've got Waddle, we've got Gazza, Lee Sharpe, Ally McCoist is coming down, the list in endless.

"We have all these people, we don't even have to try and explain who they are because they are so well known in the world of football.

"They are helping our football club and our town as well - not just the club, the whole town."

The former chairman of the struggling Third Division club, George Reynolds, resigned earlier this month.

He called in administrators in December amid club debts of about �1m, and to avert a winding-up order from the Inland Revenue.

Since then, a consortium of local business leaders and supporters has said it is trying to raise money to help bail the club out.