A football club has been "robbed" of a lucrative TV deal because of an animal rights demo, writes Suzanne Huband.

Witney Town chairman Brian Constable says his club is missing out on a £15,000 bonanza after switching Saturday's FA Cup clash with Stevenage.

The original timing coincided with the latest protest against the Hillgrove cat farm. On police advice, the game is now going ahead on Sunday because of fears for public safety.

But the switch has meant the end of a proposed deal to screen the game live on cable television.

Mr Constable told theOxford Mail: "You don't go against police advice. You have only got to get one confrontation and someone could get injured.

"We are very disappointed because the kind of money live TV brings is like manna from heaven for a club like this." Cable TV was believed to have offered £30,000 - split equally between the two clubs - for live coverage of the game in the third qualifying round of the FA Cup.

Visitors Stevenage were a big pull because of their successful run in the competition last year, when they were eventually beaten by Premiership club Newcastle Utd.

The game is likely to bring the biggest gate of the season at the club's Marriotts Stadium in Downs Road, just half a mile from Hillgrove Farm.

Supporters travel along Burford Road - the route that animals rights protesters take to farmer Chris Brown's premises, off Dry Lane at Minster Lovell. Mr Constable said: "You could say we've been robbed because live coverage was only going to be on the Saturday. We would even have switched the kick-off time to the evening to get that sort of money.

"Nothing was ever signed or sealed. Once it went to Sunday we were out of the running because there is so much other football. For the first time in its history the club had a chance to go on live TV and we've missed out."

Witney Town struggles to get 150 spectators for league games and alternative sources of income are needed to keep the club going, added Mr Constable. Commercial manager and international referee Dermot Gallagher said: "Cable were definitely interested but the minute it became a Sunday game it was a no-goer."

Fan Adrian Bircher, of Colwell Drive, Witney, said: "I've been going to games since 1983 and we've never been on TV.

"It would have been great for us. We shall just have to make sure we get through to the next round!"

Insp Michael Carrick, of Witney police, said they advised the club to make the switch "in the interest of public safety and because of traffic problems". He added: "The club has been very co-operative and understanding about the situation."

Earlier this year Hillgrove campaigners planned to protest in Witney on the day of the annual carnival. Police kept them out of the town with a five-mile exclusion zone.

Heather James, of Save the Hillgrove Cats campaign, said: "We planned this demo some time ago and knew nothing about a football match. "We've got nothing against the club - we are not interested in football. We simply want to close down the cat farm."

*A pledge of £100,000 has been given by town councillors to develop Witney's former football ground.

The ground at Marriott's Close, Welch Way, has been empty for more than four years since the club moved to its new stadium.

Site owner West Oxfordshire District Council is considering options including housing, a supermarket or leisure activities.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.