THE future of a cash-strapped football club is hanging in the balance — despite a pledge of cash from two anonymous benefactors.

Last week, Bicester Town FC was told it needed to come up with a one-off payment of £3,500 to pay part of a £9,000 debt owed to Bicester Sports Association (BSA) for pitch hire.

Two offers of help were made just before a crisis meeting on Monday — one a gift of £2,500, the other a loan of £3,500.

But last night the club’s committee said it wanted a guarantee that the BSA would not pull the plug, before it handed over the cash.

The BSA said it would not accept conditional offers.

It said the club owed the cash and it was up to its management committee to safeguard the club’s future. The deadline for the payment was Tuesday, and so far no money has been handed over.

About 60 people turned out for the emergency meeting called by the committee to discuss the debt crisis on Monday afternoon.

Among the suggestions made to safeguard the club’s future was for someone to act as a mediator between the BSA and football club in a bid to get issues resolved, or for the club to drop to a lower, cheaper, league.

Bicester resident Terry Hawtin, a former player and former chairman of the BSA, volunteered to act as a go-between.

He said: “I don’t think the BSA wants to see the club go, but it is in a predicament.

“Other clubs are paying their way and Bicester Town FC is not.”

Former club secretary Nick Haverson told the meeting: “We have funds committed to the club tonight to make the first payment.

“However, the club has refused to pay that over until it has received certain guarantees.”

After the meeting, Adam Wade, chairman of the BSA, said: “No suggestion of payment in the previous two-and-a-half years has been met by the current management committee and we have no reason to believe any future promise will be met either. The relationship between the current management committee and the BSA has deteriorated beyond the point of no return.

“As such, dealing with the current management committee of Bicester Town FC will be through our solicitor.”

He said if football club members appointed a new committee which came up with a plan for a sustainable club, the BSA would be happy to talk to them about taking football in the area forward.

The current committee took over the football club three years ago and was saddled with a debt of £34,000.

So far about £10,000 has been paid back, but money is still owed to a brewery and a power firm, along with £9,000 to the BSA. The club pays the BSA £67.19 for each game at the pitch – about 25 a year – and is charged a contribution towards rates and water bills.