OFFICIALS at Cinderford Town are defiant in the face of a historic tax bill and the club say they are working ’extremely hard’ to raise the money.

Town have been hit with a bill which sources say is around £15,000 – an amount the club say is ’not insurmountable’.

The club’s supporters trust have pledged £1,500, and that amount could be raised again from the agreed sale of the minibus used by fans on away games.

Local businesspeople are in talks with the club to help their plight, and the £3,000 on offer for winning the Southern League Division One South & West could also come to fruition should manager John Brough’s team claim the title.

The club also hope to make further progress with a move to a new ground.

“There is a tax bill, but it’s not massive,” said Chairman Ashley Saunders.

“It is a lot, in a way, but if you knuckle down and try to achieve it, it isn’t.

“The outcome is undecided because we still have meetings to come yet. We will have more results in a week or two hopefully.

“The community is working hard to sort it out; we’re having meetings with lots of different people. It’s not true to say we aren’t doing anything.

“I’ve been here 50 years and it is a little upsetting seeing all this crop up but it’s my job to get us out of this now.

“We’ve got to sort it out and given time, weeks rather than months, Cinderford Town will be back on track and we’ll be closer with the move.”

Saunders and the club are adamant Town will not give up their place in the Southern League, with the chairman adding: “We will not drop levels, not while I’m here.

“The target is to maintain Southern League next year if we’re promoted. I know financially you’ve got to have it right to go up but if you don’t, what you’ve got to be careful of is the players and the manager will go and we don’t want to lose that.

“We will fight to stay in this level and to go up, but it won’t come easy. That is what we have got to aim for.

“Winning the league would be the greatest achievement this club has ever had, without a doubt. It would be tremendous.

“We’ve been talking to lots of people in strong positions regarding the move, but we want to know what’s going on at the school because it’s always changing. We’ve looked at probably five or six areas to move to because you’ve got to have options.

“We’ve got 200 kids here, and we want to be here for the community but also want the facilities for them. You never know if one or two of them will make it.”