MALCOLM Lyus has put the future of Chippenham Town Football Club in the hands of the Bluebirds supporters.

Speaking before Wednesday night's victory at home to Supermarine, the Town chairman said the league they play in next season will be decided by the level of support over the next few months.

He said: "The level of support we get will decide the level of football we play in the next few seasons.

"If there are 1,000 fans coming to watch our games regularly then we will go to the Conference Two, but if there are only 400 fans we are dreaming.

"With as few as 400 fans there is no way we would be able to sustain that level of football as we would not be able to afford the players.

"It is totally down to the fans now and whether they want to come and support it. We will assess it and then go from there."

Meanwhile Lyus admits that a combination of factors led to Tommy Saunders' demise.

He said: "Results haven't been going our way and also no-one has made a secret of the relationship he had with the fans.

"All we are trying to do is to be as professional as we can in trying to attract as many people to the club as we can. It was felt by some of us that Tommy Saunders was not doing us any favours in that respect."

He continued: "We gave him the standard £5,000 pay-off and now all I want to state is that Tommy has done a fantastic job for us but we have to move on."

With Chippenham's recent crippling injury problems Lyus said there are no restraints on what Adie Mings has to spend to get them out of trouble.

He said: "There are no restraints on Adie at the moment because he knows that he can just go out and get whoever he can.

"The budget has gone out of the window and it is just about getting a first team out on the pitch.

"We have got eight first team players injured and a squad of 21. Ideally I would like 17 to 18 players but we are going to run with 21."

The closing date for applications for the managerial post is November 27 and Lyus has revealed that it is going well so far.

He said: "We have had about ten or 12 applications in writing and between six to eight other people who are interested.

"This includes three ex-Football League managers, someone from Exeter City, and a few non-league managers who have played at this standard, right down to a Trowbridge and District League manager.

"It has been a very good standard of applications and I would have thought that even if no-one else comes in there would be enough to choose from."