The town centre survey on Saturday attracted supporters of all varieties. Fans were asked if they had attended any games last season, how many games they had gone to, whether they would go next season if Michael Knighton remained as owner and whether they would go if he was replaced. As many as 95% of those questioned planned to boycott the club's home games unless there was a change of ownership. Even allowing for wavering supporters and occasional attenders, the cash-strapped club may only get 200 home fans through the turnstiles if the survey turns out to be accurate. Administrators claim they can run the club with gates of 1,500 - a figure that now looks highly optimistic. They have no immediate plans to sell the business and hope to continue trading with the agreement of creditors under the present ownership regime. However fans voted overwhelmingly to back a new owner in the survey with almost 100% saying they would return - although a few were worried about any new owner's independence from Mr Knighton. There were also some fans who would only return if the standard of football improved. Fans' trust CCUIST helped carry out the survey and then held their first AGM on Sunday afternoon in the city's Lakes Court Hotel. Of the 100 members who attended, none indicated their willingness to go to games next season. Members also backed a potential bid by the trust to buy the club's assets off the administrators, if no other option was left open. Potential owners John Courtenay and Brooks Mileson issued a statement through solicitors saying they would not be making a bid to buy the club until administrators moved to gain extra powers to sell it. Michael Knighton is still understood to be keen to cut a deal - but his asking price will have to come tumbling down before either Courtenay or Mileson would consider re-starting talks. Last week Knighton's ally George Reynolds claimed he was after £2.5 million to sell his majority holding. Courtenay has given his support to the boycott and has said he will join in any protest outside the ground before the opening match against Hartlepool next month. Ex-United striker Ian Stevens, who was released this summer and has rejoined Shrewsbury Town, has also voiced his support for the fans' stand. Gas to be cut off at Brunton Park The crisis at Carlisle United took another turn for the worse today as British Gas revealed it was cutting off the supply tomorrow over non-payment of a £5,522 bill. Administrators from BKR Haines Watts have been running the club for the past month but have yet to finalise a rescue plan despite talk of mystery loans and the sale of surplus land assets. A spokesman for British Gas said: "To get to the point where British Gas applies for a warrant to cut off someone's gas supply is a very long process involving phone calls, letters and call-outs to the premises. It is not something we take lightly and we make every effort to resolve the matter before it gets to this stage. We have attempted to discuss the problems with Carlisle United FC on numerous occasions." British Gas are a small creditor in comparison to the Inland Revenue who are owed £416,000 in PAYE income tax and estimated National Insurance contributions of £200,000. HM Customs and Excise are thought be owed around £100,000 in unpaid VAT. Other creditors include Shelbourne Football Club, the PFA and for the time being, most of the club's employees. Players have not been paid for two months and the PFA are thought to be working out a way to pay them despite an unpaid loan from them of at least £40,000. The club paid some of this loan off last season but have failed to come up with the rest of the money, despite an offer to pay it by John Courtenay. It is thought Mark Knighton has been paying the club's two biggest playing assets, Richie Foran and Lee Andrews out of his own pocket. The rest of the players could now leave on free transfers as a result. It is also understood part-time staff and staff at the United-owned Spar Shop on Warwick Road have also gone without pay for some time. Long-time sponsors such as Rickerbys and Pioneer have pulled out of Brunton Park. Picture from News & Star |
