Leading figures from across Bradford today called for people to back the Bantams in the football club's hour of need.

Bradford City goes into tomorrow's crunch match against rivals Burnley with critical survival talks still unresolved as the clock ticks towards next Wednesday's deadline when it could go out of business.

Today Council leaders, MPs and other prominent figures said now was the time for Bradford to send out a clear message of support for the Bantams.

And they were unanimous in their belief that it was "unthinkable" that City could fold - bringing the curtain down on 100 years of league football in Bradford.

Bradford West MP Marsha Singh warned the club's demise would be "a disaster for the whole city".

Mr Singh pledged to try to raise the issue with Government ministers, departments and fellow MPs.

"The city has taken huge strides forward over the past few years and we have to keep looking forward - but I fear this could put us back down in the dumps," he said.

Bradford Council Labour group leader, Councillor Ian Greenwood, said the fans had a vital role to play.

"I would urge everybody to go along and support the club tomorrow," he said.

"I think we should also demonstrate our support for the Rhodes family for the work they have done in ensuring that the club survived over recent years. It is absolutely unthinkable that the club could go under. The message that it would send out, particularly to the youngsters who support Bradford City, would be desperate."

Deputy Council leader Councillor Simon Cooke said: "We do not want Bradford City to go down and we do not want them to get into any more difficulties.

"It is important for the city that Bradford City stays in business. A city this size needs a football team. It is part of people's lives and what they do on a Saturday afternoon."

He insisted the Council would do "whatever it could" to help.

"We do not have lots of cash to hand them," he said. "But what we can do is offer them our officers to talk to different organisations."

Green party group leader Martin Love, a supporter of 34 years and season ticket holder along with his children, said: "I think the people of Bradford could probably show tomorrow how much they do actually care for this club. They have been able to go along to a game for free, but now it is time for those people who are not season ticket holders to show by their presence how much this means to them.

"It is not just about football, it is about the whole of the city. If the club did go under, it would be far more than just football that was lost - it would have a massive effect on all the regeneration plans."

Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Jeanette Sunderland also stressed the important role played by the supporters in making the club economically viable.

Celebrity City fan and BBC Look North weatherman Paul Hudson said businesses and supporters needed to pull together and help support the Rhodes family who have invested heavily in the club.

"It should not be forgotten by fans the huge sacrifices the Rhodes family have made, especially considering what has happened with our former chairman Geoffrey Richmond, who now seems to be cosily involved with Leeds United," he said.

"It would be a calamity for the city if we lost our football team. For such a big city not to have a football team and for a city that has struggled in the past, it would not just be a blow for the football fans but for the whole of the city's prestige.

"Not having a football club would be a kick in the teeth to everyone in Bradford. It is totally unthinkable that Bradford City could go bust and it does not bear thinking about that we might not have a football club to go to on a Saturday afternoon."

He also called on fans to turn out in force tomorrow to show their backing.

"It could be City's last home match," he said. "Although we seem to have been here before, the vibes this time seem to be a lot more serious and this really could be the Last Chance Saloon."

Chris Hawkridge, chairman of the Bradford City Supporters' Trust, said: "Bradford has already lost one Football League club and to lose a second would be absolutely disastrous. It would ruin a lot of lives.

"I am absolutely certain that, if there was to be a substantial increase in the number of people turning up tomorrow, that would send out a very strong message to both potential investors and creditors about how people feel."

John Dewhirst, a lifelong fan and insolvency expert brought in to carry out an assessment of City's financial plight, said: "As a business, this club might be all but dead, but people are in a position to make a difference tomorrow. There are a lot of people in Bradford who have always been in a position where they can take for granted the fact that they can go down to City every alternate Saturday to watch a game. It is about getting people to recognise that unless they make the effort and commitment now, that might not be the case anymore.

"People attending this game tomorrow might just send out a message to the directors, to the Football League and to the rest of Bradford that there are people who care about this club and it is worth saving."

The Reverend Martin Short said there were plans to mark City's centenary year with a service at St Paul's church in Manningham on April 23.

"It would be a tragedy if we didn't make the first 100 years and I very much hope that we will have another 100 years beyond that," he said. "It is crucial that the eighth biggest city in the land should have a football club."

Bradford Chamber of Commerce president Roland Clark said: "Bradford City is important for the city for two reasons. Firstly, it raises the profile of the city outside of Bradford. People see there is a football team here and, all being well, they are doing well, and it raises the profile of the city.

"Secondly, it is important for the confidence of the city and everyone in it. At the moment there are a lot of good things happening in Bradford and we are all trying to get out the message that things are on the up.

"I hope people will not lose faith but the threat of Bradford City's closure is a negative influence and it is one of those things that could hit confidence in the city. We will all have to work much harder to get the confidence up from the point of view of the good things in Bradford."