Basingstoke Town Football Club will go out of business by the end of March - unless a loan is secured to help their move to Winklebury.

That is the stark warning from Cllr Stephanie Grant, who commented on the events of the private council meeting held on Wednesday night.  

The club met with councillors from Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to discuss the option of a £150,000 loan to move the club from Winchester to Winklebury.

Cllr Stephanie Grant told the Gazette: "The club are paying between £1,500 to £2,000 per month to use the ground at Winchester, they will be in serious trouble if they don't sort themselves out soon.

"If they don't move to Winklebury then they're going to go out of business by the end of March, even if they took the covenant to court they just wouldn't last."

This comes after the Gazette launched its 'Two Stadiums, Not One'  campaign on Thursday to bring Basingstoke football back to the town by providing a like-for-like stadium to replace the Camrose - or the historic grounds being given back to the club.  

Cllr Andrew McCormick confirmed that the club "probably won't last more than one season" at Winchester as they are currently paying £400 per game to play at the Stadium.

He added: "The club need to tell the Southern League where they will play this season by March 31. For this to be Winklebury, they need £150,000 for work to the ground and a credible work plan to present to the league."

Basingstoke Town Football Club is currently seeking legal advice after the Gazette revealed it had unearthed lost paper work which protects the Camrose stadium from development. 

Cllr Grant added: "I think what's happening in Basingstoke is dreadful, you're building all of these houses and not to have the community facilities to meet the demand is just wrong."

You can support the Gazette's campaign by signing our petition http://chng.it/wBhK4xN7.