CALOR PREMIER Bashley will fold at the end of the season – unless a deal with an interested consortium can be sealed by March 31.
Member-run Bash, who are 67-years-old, voted on Thursday in favour of a resolution to begin proceedings to dissolve the club.
And while 18 of the club’s 38 members, of which 20 were present at the EGM, have given the go-ahead for closure, there could be an 11th-hour reprieve with chairman Mike Cranidge set for crunch talks at 9am today.
Cranidge told The NLP: “The actual resolution that was passed gives me carte blanche to start closing down the club if we can’t get the new people in or new funding.
“That’s been accepted but I’m talking to people and meeting them again on Sunday to look at the books etc.
“Because of all the publicity we’ve been given there are small chunks of commercial interest. I wouldn’t call it out-and-out investment of the club there are people who may buy some commercial interest in the club. So I’m encouraged. There is still hope and that’s what everyone wants.
“But at the end of the day, as the last man standing, if it all falls through I really have no option because I don’t have the money to take us forward.
“The key date is the end of this month because after that we would be re-signed onto the Southern League. We’re looking at the nitty gritty now, they’re inspecting the books so they’re keen.”
Since announcing their intentions a fortnight ago and calling for potential investors to come forward, Bash have been inundated with messages of support.
Pledges to a justgiving page set up to aid their plight have also topped £3,000.
Cranidge added: “We’ve had messages from all over the world. Everyone seems to like Bashley. It puts you under pressure to save it and I’ll do my best. I don’t want to be the person that says goodbye to a 67-year-old club.
“Unfortunately if it does fall through I can’t see any point in applying to the Wessex League because the overheads are the same so the club will have to close.”
