FARNBOROUGH have been given the green light to finally begin their Ryman Premier season on Saturday – but they will face relegation if their debts aren’t paid by the end of the season.
Boro start their campaign at home to Lewes on Saturday and will not suffer a points deduction, fine or transfer embargo.
They will, however, be relegated one step if they don’t pay the £1.2m owed to creditors by next summer’s Ryman League AGM.
The ruling may cause more issues with Farnborough, with the debt no longer existing since the club renegotiated its Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA).
Farnborough paid a £30,000 bond to the Ryman League last week and successfully amended their CVA agreement but they were charged for altering their CVA and not informing the league of the change.
A Ryman League statement released on Thursday said: “The Appeal Board of the League met today (Thursday) and heard a charge against Farnborough FC that it had varied the terms of the CVA and failed to provide notice of the application to the League.
“The Board decided that the appropriate sanction was to apply Rule 14 B.1 so that the Club will be relegated by one Step unless by the time of the 2016 AGM it has paid £1,254,263 to the creditors.
“The Club is therefore free to commence its fixtures on Saturday 29 August at home to Lewes FC.”
A Farnborough statement read: “The club can confirm it has been given the green light to start its fixtures immediately.
“The penalty for the two charges revolves around previous genuine creditors of the now amended CVA.
“The club will await the formal penalty in writing before commenting further and is just concentrating on getting on with football.”
