Huntingdon Town chairman Doug McIlwain has made a passionate plea for support.

McIlwain believes extra backing from local people could provide a major boost in the club’s battle for United Counties League Premier Division survival.

And he hopes for an immediate increase in attendances at Jubilee Park when Town, who are six points from safety, entertain Northampton side Sileby Rangers this afternoon, 3pm.

They also have a home Huntingdonshire derby coming up against Eynesbury Rovers on Friday, December 23.

McIlwain said: “We are well aware that we can’t have big-money players - that’s something the club did in the past.

“We rely on lads who are playing for the love of football and who are proud to have the Huntingdon Town badge on their chests. But I have to ask myself, where is the support from the people of the town?

“It wasn’t really there in the successful days a few years ago and it still isn’t there now.

“We make a loss every single time we stage a home game and that’s obviously not helping us to be successful on the pitch.

“I will believe we can stay up until it is mathematically impossible.

“At this stage things are not quite coming together, but our players and management team are fighting for the club.

“A few more people cheering the boys on would give them a huge lift.

“Huntingdon is a town of 22,000 people and I’d absolutely love for just 100 of them to be at Jubilee Park on a regular basis. Admission is only a fiver for adults and £3 for kids, we have excellent facilities for our level of football and a bit more support might just turn our season around.”

Former Huntingdon mayor McIlwain took over as Town chairman during the summer of 2015 and is guiding the club through a difficult time.

It’s a challenge he continues to relish and one he believes can end successfully in the long term.

McIlwain added: “It has certainly been an interesting experience, but one I am determined to see through.

“I want the club to be in a situation where it can be competitive at Step 5 and I believe that is something we can achieve. We might have to take a step back to move forward again, but right now we are doing all we can to stay up.”