BICESTER Town Football Club is holding an emergency public meeting tomorrow night to discuss a debt crisis.

Last month, the Oxford Mail revealed that Bicester Sports Association had issued a legal notice asking the club to pay a debt of £9,000 within 60 days.

Now lawyers chasing the money have sent the 130-year-old club a letter giving them days to pay a one-off sum of £3,500, followed by instalments of £700 a month.

The letter went on to say it if payments were not met, the association would start legal proceedings to take back the Oxford Road ground.

Earlier in the month, the football club, which has about 40 players, launched a campaign to raise money to pay off the debt.

So far more than £3,000 has been pledged, but the club says it only has £1,200 in the bank – not enough to pay what the assocication wants.

Club secretary Nick Haverson said it would almost certainly have to fold and promised that if the club was thrown off the site he would rip up cheques and return people’s money.

He said: “It’s quite clear to me they want us off the site.

“We didn’t ask to be let off – we’re saying ‘give us a chance to sort it’. They’re choosing not to allow us to pay for it.”

He raised fears the association wanted to sell the land to developers, but its chairman Adam Wade denied it was in negotiation with any developer or property company.

Mr Haverson said: “This isn’t about football any more, this is about space and sports in the town.

“We’re not necessarily looking for sympathy – the football club is almost certainly going to fold.”

Club treasurer John Clutterbuck added: “The BSA is aware that we have an appeal under way and, indeed are monitoring it on our website.

“It’s cynical in the extreme that the initial amount that their solicitors are demanding actually exceeds the amount which they know has been committed by supporters thus far.”

Tomorrow night’s meeting, which is being held at the club’s ground, off Oxford Road, at 7.30pm, is designed to give people the chance to debate the provision of sports facilities in the town and try to come up with a solution to stop the club folding.

Mr Wade said all clubs using its facilities were aware of the association’s objectives and any changes would be discussed with the clubs and facilities provided elsewhere.

He said: “The reality is they’re not paying their bills.

“We’re not in negotiation with any developer or any property company with regard to the sale of Oxford Road.”

He said the association currently provided facilities used regularly by hundreds of people in Bicester.

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

So far about £10,000 has been paid back, but money is still owed to a brewery, power firm and £9,000 to the associaton. 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.

For details of the club’s appeal, see bicestertownfc.com