AN OXFORD football club has blamed the financial climate for scuppering its plans for a top-of-the-range facility.

Marston Saints Football Club was unable to find the £500,000 necessary to fund its new pavilion.

The Old Marston based club had originally planned to spend £750,000 on the new building, but may now only be able to afford half that.

Club vice-chairman Eddie Aldworth said: “We have got no hope of trying to raise that kind of money. I don’t think we stand a chance.

“It is very hard to fundraise in the current environment and you have got to jump over a million hurdles.

“In total we could probably raise somewhere closer to £300,000 with a bit of effort.

“We started fundraising full of hope, enthusiasm and ambition at a very bad time financially. It was just bad luck.”

More than 200 children play for Marston Saints, which was named after the television series The Saint, while about 50 people play in the two men’s teams.

Old Marston Parish Council provided £275,000 but finding the rest of the money has been a struggle.

Planning permission has been given for the project but it runs out in May so the club would have to apply again if it were unable to go ahead before then.

The football club is now exploring the possibility of constructing a modular building as well as scrapping the planned first floor.

Mr Aldworth said: “The football club has survived for 45 years without this pavillion and it will probably survive another 45 years without one.

“But the building we are in at the moment has got no showers, no heating and no facilities that a modern football club needs.

“People will still want their children to play sport but I think it is fundamental for our club.”