ROSSENDALE United boss Micky Graham could quit at the end of the season unless the club can find new investors., writes ANDY NEILD.

The Dark Lane club are desperate for a new cash injection and officials want to set up an Annual General Meeting as soon as possible to discuss the situation.

A loss of revenue from the social club, together with an alarming slump in gate receipts, has plunged the hard-up North Western Trains League outfit into a financial crisis.

And unless new backers can be found, United's future looks bleak.

"We've got to the stage where we're struggling financially," said chairman Jack Feber.

"The gates are down to about £120 and the social club isn't supporting the football club anymore - in fact, it isn't even generating enough money to support itself.

"It's getting to the point where you can't see any future in paying expenses out to players.

"It's costing over £100 a week to keep Rossendale going and that's without kicking a ball.

"And what money we do have we've had to spend on the ground, otherwise we wouldn't be allowed to carry on playing in the league."

Feber believes the only way out of the present predicament is to dissolve the club as a limited company.

Under it's present constituition any one person is prevented from having a controlling majority of the club's 2000 50p shares.

That way, the path would then be clear for any new investors to take overall control of the club.

"We want to hold an AGM as soon as possible to get the shareholders view to see if anyone wants to step forward and join the board.

"We need to discuss whether or not they want Rossendale United to go forward because they don't seem to be very concerned.

"If someone like Graham White, who invested heavily in Colne Dynamoes, came along, they could take over and run Rossendale how they wanted.

"There are one or two shares available if anyone with the best interests of the club at heart wants to get involved.

"And if it means we have to step down to let them take over, then we are prepared to do that."

But unless the board can come up with some answers soon, they may be faced with losing Micky Graham.

The former Blackburn Rovers star has been at Dark Lane three seasons now and has done a sterling job on limited resources against sides with far greater financial backing. But he is known to be ambitious and may feel he has taken the club as far as he can unless he receives guarantees of extra support.

"Micky Graham will know in his own mind what he wants to do," said Feber.

"He wants to know what is happening next year but we cannot tell him that until we've had this meeting.

"He hasn't given us a specific deadline but he did say he would like to know before the end of the season.

"It may be that he says he won't be here next year unless he gets certain assurances. But I just don't know at this stage."

Rossendale United are without a game tomorrow.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.