8:33am Monday 6th September 2010
By Graham Moody
Croydon Athletic have two weeks to find a new owner or face extinction.
The Rams have been thrown into chaos since owner Mazhar Majeed had his assets frozen following his arrest last week on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers and money laundering.
Management and players left for good after Saturday's defeat to Concord Rangers as the club can no longer afford to pay them and their Ryman League fixtures against Tooting on Tuesday and Sutton United on the 18th have been postponed.
A statement from the Ryman League read: "The Ryman League has been contacted by Croydon Athletic FC as a result of internal problems following allegations made in a national newspaper regarding the person widely regarded as the owner of the club.
"The club has been unable to pay the August wages for the players and are faced with a number of other financial claims.
"At the end of the club’s home match with Concord Rangers the management team indicated that the side would be unlikely to play together again.
"The league has been working closely with the club during the past week and attended a meeting at the club last Wednesday with the chairman and three other senior members of the club.
"Croydon Athletic FC is doing all it can to stay in business and are hoping that by publicising their plight they may find someone willing to take over the club.
"The league has agreed to a request from the club to postpone its next two league fixtures – away to Tooting & Mitcham United on Tuesday, September 7 and home to Sutton United on September 18 – in order to give the club time to see if it can survive the difficult position in which it finds itself.
"The league and the club will then reconsider the position to ascertain whether or not the club can meet its commitments to the league for the remainder of the season."
Ryman League chairman Alan Turvey said: “The league is very sorry the club has suffered such a blow.
"We are concerned to act in the best interests of all parties in this matter and to make sure that every avenue is explored to see if the club can continue.
"We do not want players to play in matches which may not count nor do we want spectators to pay to see matches whose results are then erased from the records.”
Croydon Athletic, whose FA Cup game against Kingstonian next weekend is also likely to be postponed, said: "During the next two weeks we will continue to look for financial backing in an attempt to take the club forward and a decision will then be made after this period of time."
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