Pic: ELL

Croydon Athletic club, which was shutdown last month following a series of controversies, is now expecting a resurrection as a committee decided on a name-change this week.

The football club folded in January after spiraling debt and an insurmountable league points deduction meant the club had to resign from the league.

The Ryman League released a statement claiming the club had folded due to “insolvency”, as it could not find the funds to pay back its debts.

What is lacking in the coffers, however, has been made up in the enthusiasm of the team’s supporters, who have vowed to start a new club by March 31. The proposed club must play two divisions below the former club’s league, suggesting that if their application is successful, AFC Croydon Athletic will compete in the Combined Counties League in August.

Vice-chairman of Croydon Athletic, Paul Smith, met with supporters this week, telling the Croydon Advertiser that he was happy with the outcome.

“It was good and positive and we have agreed to form a new club. There is obviously a lot of things we have got to do between now and the end of March – when we have to apply to the league to get a place for next season.”

Smith also said the new team will play at the old stadium.

In 2010, it came to light that the clubs then chairman, Mazhar Majeed, was involved in the match-fixing cricket scandal, and just months before a previous chairman was found dead. Since then, the club has had many well-documented money problems.

Fans and players now hope a new club can be forged with a clean record.