The coronavirus crisis is set to claim its first football club victim this week with Rhyl FC heading for liquidation unless £175,000 can be found by the end of Monday.
The four-time Welsh Cup and two-time Welsh Premier League winners, who play in the Cymru North second tier of Welsh football, have had a final extension placed on attempts to come up with a rescue package.
A Go Fund Me appeal by the Rhys Fans Association has so far raised only £3,000 of an attempted £20,000.
Club chairman Paul Higginson has been desperately seeking a benefactor to help the club meet the running costs for the 2020/21 season.
“We discussed with the Rhyl Fans Association extending the deadline 5.00pm on Monday, 20 April, at which point a final decision will be made on the future of the club,” he said.
The club’s income streams have been crippled by the indefinite suspension of all UK football.
The Football Association of Wales extended their shutdown of the game through to at least 15 May, making life even harder for Rhyl.
SAVE RHYL FC
The newly formed Rhyl Fans Association have launched a Go Fund Me campaign with the aim to raise £20,000 in the fight to club alive.
Any donations whatever size will mean a massive difference.
If you are unable to donate please share https://t.co/8Te2HA7P4s
— Rhyl Football Club (@rhylfc) March 28, 2020
The club, founder members of the Welsh league in 1890, enjoyed five seasons playing in European competitions, including the Champions League between 2004-09. They were in ninth place in their league when matches were suspended.
“The Board of Directors of Rhyl FC have updated the Rhyl Fans Association on the current position of the football club,” the club said in a statement.
“The meeting reviewed the financial position of the club, taking account of fundraising activities by RFA and the club, against the increasing uncertainty of when traditional income streams for football are likely to return.
“The risk remains that the fixed costs associated with the rental of the Belle Vue stadium, together with other fixed costs, will continue to accumulate with no form of income to offset these costs.”
Rhyl’s 3,000 home venue hosted a number of glamour friendlies against Premier League clubs when wealthy local businessman Peter Parry was in the chair in the early 2000s.
There was even an international tournament involving Juventus, Aston Villa and Manchester City hosted at the ground.
Parry then stepped down midway through the 2009/10 season, a number of leading players left and the financial rot set in. They have seven games to go to finish their season.
