Croydon Athletic Club is shown the red card

A heavy fine and deducted points have led fans and players of local football team Croydon Athletic to worry about the future of the club.

The club was fined £7,500 and ten league points were deducted after an independent regulatory commission by the Football Association found financial irregularities that breached rules relating to payment to players for the 2009-10 season.

These developments caused Ryman Division One South club to forfeit their weekend fixture against Ramsgate.

Charlie Mann, goalkeeper for the club is worried Croydon Athletic may fold up. He said: “Well obviously everyone’s gutted. The lads in that dressing room all stuck together when nothing was going for us and there were outside influences. It felt like it was us against the world at times and felt like we had a real cause to fight for.”

The Rams have been faced with funding and investment shortages. Accepting the charges, chairman Chris Roots said: “We were happy that we received a fair hearing and thank the Football Association and the panel for its consideration. “

After surviving turbulent times last year when the club’s previous owner Mazhar Majeed was in charge, Roots said: “Our immediate focus remains securing new ownership for the football club so that we can start to look forward.”

The Rams Army, who support the club, are raising funds to go towards the training academy and fulfilling fixture commitments.

 

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