ALRESFORD chiefs have stepped in to save the town's football club from quitting its league over a seating wrangle.

Alresford Football Club is facing expulsion from the Wessex Football League after the town council installed a new viewing balcony, which left the club needing 100 extra seats to meet tournament regulations.

Alresford Town Council pledged £13,780 to install 50 covered seats and standing room for 50 people - but could not agree on how to pay for it.

A commitment had to be made at Thursday's meeting to ensure the seats were in place for next season, with Cllr Barbara Jeffs telling members they were "honour bound" to save the club's status.

Cllr Lisa Griffiths, chairman, said: "What we need to do is reassure the football club.

"Basically, the decision we make is either 'you're staying in the league you're in' or 'you're not.'

"If we don't make the decision, they will not remain in the league they're in."

But fears were raised over how to foot the bill, with the pledge forcing the council to borrow money.

Parish clerk Stevie Kavanagh said: "There are other things that we need to do on this site. There's the cricket strip, there's storage. I may be able to get some funding for the storage but if you go for this £21,000 public works loan fund, I will have to put together a project.

"It will need a sporting project."

Hampshire Chronicle:

Thursday's Alresford Town Council meeting

Cllr Margot Power said: "If we're going to go for a bigger loan we're going to have a firmer idea of how it's going to be spent.

"I'm not happy to sign off a loan for £21,000, with £8,000 for 'stuff'."

She called for profits from the balcony bar to contribute to the fund.

Councillors pledged the cash and agreed to set out at its meeting on June 11 how it would pay and exactly what extra works would be done to justify a loan.