VIKINGS chairman Stephen Vaughan has accused outgoing directors Tony Chambers and Tom Fleet of pulling the wool over his eyes about the club's dire finances.

The Widnes supremo said outstanding debts - five times what he had been originally told - 'accelerated' former chairman Chambers and managing director Fleet's departures from the board last week.

"The reason is simple," he said. "I am not happy with the finance director and former chairman, the way the club has been run and the way the club was sold to me.

"I was told during the first financial appraisal that the club had £68,000 outstanding on the company which I have now learned is more like £300,000.

"Obviously this accelerated the fact we needed to get control and funding to put the club on a level playing field.

"For anything that goes on while I have the reins I will take full responsibility. Whoever was responsible for the finances at the time will be held responsible."

Vaughan used the weekly Vikings press conference, usually the scene of post and pre-match comment from coach Steve McCormack, to launch his scathing attack on Chambers and Fleet.

But he also called for more fans to get behind the team in a desperate attempt to generate income streams allowed to dry up under the previous regime.

"Most of the revenue has already been taken in and there's not a lot of income owed to the club," he said.

"In Sunday's gate of 3,000 people, 2,000 were paid-up season ticket holders so gate receipts only amounted to £8,140.

"We don't see any of that because of our loan to Halton Council and for the use of the stadium so I'm appealing for supporters to come in their numbers because crowds of 3,000 generate no income stream whatsoever."

Vaughan and his new-look board are also planning to revamp the club's lottery, upgrade the shop and sell stock on the open market, while taking on the overheads themselves.

"It's the only way I can see of getting out of the financial plight we're in at the moment," he said.

"We are going to prop the club up and hopefully the support base will do the rest.

"But what happens on the field takes precedence - we've got to make sure Steve has as much money as we can generate while also clearing the debts."