FORMER government spin doctor Alastair Campbell has revealed the real reason he is doing everything he can to help keep Burnley Football Club afloat.

It's because Stan Ternent's First Division outfit, which is desperately seeking cash to stay in business, provided him with the escape he needed during the most pressurised days as Tony Blair's trusted aide.

Mr Campbell, who was this week exonerated by Lord Hutton following the inquiry into the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly, also said he tried - and failed - to convert the Prime Minister into becoming a Clarets fan.

The Keighley-born, lifelong Burnley FC supporter spoke exclusively to the Evening Telegraph before he took to the stage for the first of his 'audience with' theatre dates around the country.

And reflecting on the life he led in the pressure cooker that is Number 10 Downing Street, Mr Campbell said: "It was football and my family that helped me through some of the most pressurised times.

"My family are great and being able to watch Burnley FC every weekend provided me with somewhere I could forget everything. Everyone in Downing Street knew the rules, only to disturb me if the Prime Minister wanted me. Otherwise, I wouldn't be disturbed and that is the way I wanted it."

He said he only had to leave one football match - against Bristol Rovers - for Government duties, when the Government was considering legal action against the Daily Mail, a paper he repeatedly criticised on stage, calling it "a poison in the British media."

Mr Campbell added: "I'm now in contact with the club every day and I want to do all I can to help them. We're planning a dinner which I will be at along with Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I've had a really good idea which will help a lot but I'm not saying what it is yet."

The national media descended on South Shields, in Tyne and Wear, last night for the first night of Mr Campbell's tour and the scenes outside were reminiscent to when Mr Campbell turned up at a Burnley match days after quitting his post as director of communications.

And he finally revealed what prompted him to support the club. He said: "Where I lived, you could support Bradford, Burnley or Huddersfield, with Leeds maybe a fourth, but they were struggling to get anywhere, a bit like now.

"I went to a Bradford game, it was 0-0 and raining so I wasn't taken by them. Then we went to Huddersfield and I was bitten by a dog so didn't have good memories of them and then went to Burnley.

"They were top of the league and their colours were majestic so they've been my team ever since.

"I suppose some people might say I'm a glory hunter but I've been everywhere following them. I can remember the game which kept us in the football league.

"In fact, in the 1980s, I began to think I had a serious personality defect, continually supporting lost causes. Burnley were one and Labour the other!"

But attempts to convert Mr Blair to Burnley from Newcastle United failed when they attended a match at Hartlepool in 1994.

Mr Campbell recalled the event to the 400-plus audience last night. He said: "Tony was stood with me with Burnley fans, and Peter Mandleson, man of the people he is, was with the Hartlepool fans who are his constituents.

"At half-time, Peter came across to us, waving at the home fans. He was wearing this massive blue and white scarf someone had knitted for him and when he got to the Burnley end all the fans started chanting 'whose the plonker in the scarf?'

"Burnley lost 4-1 so I've not invited Tony to another game since!"

As for his plans for the future, Mr Campbell told the Evening Telegraph: "I've said I will do all I can to help Burnley. Some people ask me why I support them but to me it is like politics, you only ever support one team.

"I'm hoping I can do more to get people involved in politics through going to schools, universities and raising interest. It is massively important to me and hopefully I can use the image created by the media and turn it to some good."

After last night's performance, during which he insisted he didn't hold a grudge against the BBC despite claims he 'sexed up' the dossier for a war in Iraq, Mr Campbell was due to travel to Wigan to watch Burnley at the JJB Stadium.