THERE'S only one item on the agenda for Winsford United at their crunch open meeting tonight - survival.

"It's the most important meeting of Winsford United's history," said vice chairman Mark Loveless. "We've been going since 1883 and this is the most crucial if we are going to continue as a semi-professional club.

Major shareholder Loveless is prepared to pump money into the club to enable a leisure complex worth £1 million to be built on the Barton Stadium site.

But the only way they can finance improvements is if the club has ownership of the ground. At present, it merely has usage while the town council are trustees to the deed of Barton Stadium.

Only the United board has the ambition and money for development, while the Winsford Town Council would not be able to afford a stadium on the scale which would rescue the club.

Although the council won't be attending in an official capacity, a number of councillors are expected to turn up to listen to the plight of Winsford United.

Blues chairman Malcolm Gaskill, himself a town councillor, will chair the meeting and is as keen as anyone to secure a future for the football club.

He said: "I have as much sway as anyone else and if you put to anyone a common sense way forward people will listen. You don't have to be a councillor or a football club chairman to do that.

"The club needs money spent on it, which the council can't do so there must be alternatives. But the town needs a football team, because people will miss it when it's gone.

"Many towns would give their eye teeth to have a team in the UniBond League, near to the Conference and two away from the Football League.

"It gets you recognition, you get seen and it gives the town an identity."

At present, Barton Stadium is in a state of disrepair as thousands of pounds have been spent merely on tidying it up.

Repairs have been carried out on a vandalised social club which has suffered three break-ins in less than 12 months and a burst water pipe.

There is now not enough income to keep the ground running in conjunction with the costs of a semi-professional outfit, which is why the board is desperate to have the destiny of the club in their own hands.

Loveless added: "We need to set up a plan with the town council to achieve what we want to.

"We want a leisure complex for everyone in Winsford, and as elected representatives for various sections of the town, I'd like all the councillors to attend."

The meeting starts at 7.30pm at Barton Stadium tonight (Wednesday), and is open to all supporters, residents as well as town and borough council officials.