Fans to talk about Vics' future (From Northwich Guardian)

Northwich Victoria Supporters Trust to host a meeting of fans to discuss club's future

2:03pm Thursday 3rd May 2012 in News By Andrew Simpson, Senior Sports Writer

FOOTBALL fans meet tonight, Thursday, to discuss their favourite club’s future after its punishment for breaking finance rules was confirmed.

Northwich Victoria, runners-up in the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League’s Premier Division this term, have been relegated to the competition’s second tier after failing to convince an FA appeal board last week that it was not to blame for money owed to creditors not being paid.

The club’s former administrator, Gary Pettit, said on Friday he would seek to close down the club as a result.

Northwich Victoria Supporters Trust, which said last month that it would set up a new club if the existing one went out of business, hosts an open forum later at Lostock Social Club from 8pm.

“Given the fluid situation, and irrespective of a fan’s individual view of the trust and what he thinks our objectives are, we would encourage supporters to attend,” said trust chairman Paul Stockton.

At last Tuesday’s appeal hearing, the FA agreed with the Northern Premier League’s decision to impose a sanction on the club.

However it decided that expulsion from the competition was too harsh, instead ordering that Vics play in Division One North or South from next season.

The game’s governing body will decide in which division the team can play next season.

Meanwhile the team, runners-up to Cheshire neighbours Chester, did not compete in the weekend’s play-offs semi finals either.

A day after Northwich were relegated to the lowest level the team has ever played at, owner Jim Rushe said he would not resign.

He told the Guardian that it is wrong to blame him for the club’s third demotion in as many years, only one of which was because the players on the pitch were not good enough.

However Mr Pettit said on Friday that the league and the FA were right, adding that Mr Rushe is not right to accuse him of not making payments to companies owed cash by the club.