A WRIT has been issued against Northwich Victoria Football Club 2004, demanding repayment of a £25,000 loan.

According to the writ the money was lent to the club by another company in two instalments in February and March this year on the basis that it would be paid back within a few weeks following the receipt of a bridging loan by the club.

And a second company, which carried out work at the ground, has issued a statutory notice giving chairman Mike Connett 21 days to pay debts before starting bankruptcy proceedings.

But Connett has moved quickly to deny the claims.

Speaking yesterday, Tuesday he said: "The football club does not have debts and does not even have banking facilities.

He added: "The money referred to in the writ was given as a donation."

And Connett insists that without him there would be no Northwich Victoria.

He said: "When we took over, this club was losing serious amounts of money per week.

"And there have been six-figure losses from us taking over to the end of the season.

"Now we are going to start a new season in a new ground at Conference level."

He added: "The club is losing £6,000 per week which I have funded. If I hadn't funded those losses there would be no football club."

Connett also denied that constructors had walked off the site.

He said: "That's simply not true."

According to Connett, stage one of the development was completed in March and when Vics decided not to move into the new stadium until the new season, they took the opportunity to take a break from construction in order to focus attention on the most pressing needs for the club.

Connett insists that work will start again when the club decides what is the next area for attention at the ground.

He is also confident work on the ground will be completed in time for the new season.

This is all a far cry from activity on the pitch which has seen Northwich Vics, led by manager Steve Burr, secure Nationwide Conference status.

Vics were docked 10 points earlier in the season and looked odds on favourites for the drop to Conference North.

But Burr and his players made a remarkable effort to save the club from relegation and were rewarded last week with a win against Leigh that kept them in the division.