THE financial plight surrounding Salisbury City FC has left the club on the brink of collapse.

The managerless Whites have until 5pm tomorrow to settle with creditors and secure a bond of £50,000 or will be expelled from the Conference South.

And a winding up order of £29,000 from HMRC also needs to be paid next week to avoid the club, formed in 1947, folding.

Former owner Mark Winter, who stepped down on Sunday, said: “I wish I could give better news, but as it stands, unless there is radical movement, I expect Salisbury to be expelled from the conference on Friday.

“The HMRC winding- up petition, which needs to be paid shortly, will then call closure on the club.

“As fans, we need to face the real p o s s i b i l i t y that there will be no Salisbury City Football Club playing next season.”

The Football Conference relegated the Whites from Conference Premier to Conference South last month for failing to settle its debts.

Mr Winter pledged his support to fight for the Whites at a sponsors evening after ploughing more than £75,000 into the club.

He and Moroccan businessman Otail Touzar stepped in to save the club in May, buying it for a token £1 and taking on £160,000 in debts.

But Mr Winter says Mr Touzar, 31, is yet to invest a single penny.

Over the past few weeks, Mr Winter said he had been working tirelessly to get Mr Touzar to hand over his shares but, despite help from legal advisers; he has been unable to do so – and consequently quit.

He added: “Touzar would have the world believe he is working around the clock to save the club.

“The brutal truth is he has done nothing to help the club. We have tried everything in our power to reason with him, even offering him money to give the club back.”

Mr Winter, Salisbury City under 11s coach, and his fiancée Michaela Menzel have been involved in the club for the past six years.

“We have had some wonderful times and made lots of very good friends,” he said.

“Those memories, and those friends are something no one can take away from us. I, Michaela and all those that have supported our efforts over the last weeks are heartbroken to be taking the decision to walk away, but there really is no other option.”

In the midst of manager Mikey Harris leaving for Portsmouth under 18s, 13 of last season’s players have signed new deals elsewhere.