Worthing Thunder have admitted their run of home games is costing them money at the door.

The National League side have called on stay away fans to return to the Leisure Centre and help roar them on in league and trophy.

Thunder chase a first league win of the season at home to Kingston Wildcats tonight (8pm) but have already reached the last four of the trophy, in which they host Plymouth three weeks from today.

Crowds have dipped to as low as 200 in recent weeks and Rosemary Dawes, one of the club's founders and directors, admitted a run of six successive home weekends was a major factor in that.

She admitted: "We have been disappointed. We have had a lot of home games on the trot, including around half term and bonfire night, and people have been picking and chosing their matches.

"We need to have one match every other week. We could do that with our sports centre but some clubs, like Plymouth, have to fit in around other events such as concerts."

Thunder say that means they lose out as they have to fit their fixtures around the availability of other clubs' venues.

After the flurry of home action, they would then have faced eight successive blank weekends had they been drawn away in the trophy .

Thunder were recently congratulated by England Basketball on the professional way they stage games but that is counting for little when it comes to being able to establish a decent home schedule.

Mrs Dawes added: "What also lets us down a bit is playing all the trophy group games at the start of the season. A lot of people don't bother coming when we are playing division one opposition and they miss some good games.

"On a good night we will get 500 people but we had two weeks recently where it was round 200. I don't know where people have gone.

"We are staging under-18s and women's games before the Thunder matches so we believe we are offering good value for money."

Thunder are working on community projects with local schools but say they are meeting increased competition in that area from the Bears.

Ironically, their best public relations exercise came on Bears territory, when they beat London Towers and put up such a good battle against Nick Nurse's all-star Brighton line-up in a pre-season event.

Feedback on the Bears' message board was very positive but the fixture schedules have offered precious little chance for any keen Brighton fans to take another look at Thunder in home action.

In Lavoris Jerry, Thunder have one of the most exciting talents in the country at the moment while the likes of Damien Harris, Rany Malik and Marvin Addy are delighting the Durrington faithful with their progress.

Thunder's fixture list is compiled ahead of the BBL meaning they cannot head-off any clashes with Bears games.

Meanwhile Teesside, the most powerful team in the National League, have been told they cannot have access to their home court on December 14, when they were supposed to host Worthing. They have suggested playing on February 14 but Thunder are not keen as they have an away game with Reading the following day.

The home game with Manchester, scheduled for December 7, has been moved back to Sunday, December 15 (4pm).