SOME of the biggest names in football will flock to Moss Rose to help save Macclesfield Town.

Former Manchester United legend and Blackburn boss Mark Hughes, ex-Italy and Chelsea maestro Gianfranco Zola and World Cup winner and former Real Madrid star Christian Karembeu are among a host of top players who have agreed to play in the International All Star match on Tuesday, February 7.

The superstars have answered the Silkmen’s SOS call after the Cheshire club were ordered to pay the FA £267,000 by January 31.

The eagerly-awaited clash, which has been jointly organised by Macc and the club’s shirt supplier ‘A-Line’, will see a World XI take on a Macclesfield Town XI, which will include Silkmen legends from Town’s 1997 promotion-winning team.

Former Manchester United and Aston Villa manager Ron Atkinson will take charge of the world-class outfit, which also includes ex-Italy and Middlesborough stopper Gianluca Festa.

And Macclesfield are confident of attracting even more stellar talents to the Moss, including several high-profile names from Premiership sides in the North West.

The game could make more than £60,000 for Town if they can fill their 6,300-capacity stadium. The League Two outfit have already raised more than £60,000 - and have also sold striker Jon Parkin to Hull in a deal rumoured to be worth more than £200,000.

But the Cheshire club will NOT use funds from the striker’s transfer to pay the FA.

"We hope to use the money from Jon Parkin to further the development of the football club," said Bickerton. "But we can only do that if we continue to raise money in the way we have been doing to pay the FA."

He added: "Brian (Horton) has been told he can strengthen the squad."

Macclesfield will finally receive written explanation of the FA’s decision in the ‘next few days’, according to an FA spokesman. The Silkmen will then have 14 days to lodge an appeal - taking the club past the January 31 deadline set by the game’s governing body.

The FA said the ‘complex’ nature of the investigation was responsible for the delay in Macc receiving the paperwork - and that the end-of-this-month deadline was only applicable if the club choose not to appeal.

The club will also be holding a ‘Fans United Day’ when Macc face Carlisle in a League Two clash at Moss Rose on Sunday, January 29.

Supporters of all clubs are invited to attend the game wearing their own team’s colours to show their support for the Silkmen.