SCREWFIX PREMIER DIVISION: DEVIZES Town Chairman Chris Belcher has failed to meet the Football Association deadline to prove the club was legally turned into a limited company and is now set to be ousted on Monday night.

Belcher had until midnight on Monday this week to persuade Wiltshire FA the changes were legitimately carried out and to explain financial difficulties but it is understood no substantial information was forthcoming.

Belcher must now appear before an FA hearing in Melksham in four days time and it is understood the limited company will be expelled.

The club has been suspended since a special hearing, known as a commission, was held last month after complaints were made about the way the limited company was created and financial problems that have led to debts, rumoured to be around £60,000, to increase. A number of cheques written by the club have not been honoured and this has caused a flurry of complaints.

If, as is expected, the Devizes Football Club Ltd is thrown out by the FA a group of long-serving Devizes Town followers are ready to step into the breach and return the club to its former members club status.

If this happens it is expected that the FA will immediately recognise the new regime and the club will be ready to play in the Premier division of the Screwfix league.

It is understood a number of well respected former Devizes Town committee members are ready to take up leading positions once again.

Sponsors are also waiting in the wings ready to back the club with cash and goods.

One of those expected to take over said this week: "We are optimistic that Belcher will be gone after Monday night.

"But we are just a bit worried that he will pull something out of the hat at the last moment.

"I can't see that he can but we will all breath a big sigh of relief after the hearing. Everything is ready to go and we are confident we can really turn the club around and we will have the backing of people in the town.

"It will take a while but we are all really committed to the club."

On the playing side manager Dave Hopkins, who got married on Saturday, is also confident that he will have a strong team ready to start the season at an away match against Exmouth.

The club has been unable to operate normally during the last few weeks but Hopkins has been in touch with a number of former players.

It is expected that if all goes well two former Devizes favourites will officially sign next week.

These are likely to include a super striker who left the club a few seasons ago for Conference-level football.

Assistant manager Shaun Moffett said: "It will be a strong side with a number of new signings. They are names that have been associated with Devizes in the past and that is good news."

The takeover for the new committee if all goes as planned will be helped by the fact that the ground is still leased in the name of Devizes Town Football Club instead of the limited company.

Linpac, who own the site and lease it back to the club on a peppercorn rent, are keen to see it restored to a members club.

In the past it has been rumoured that Belcher wanted to sell the ground to Tesco or a development company. The company withdrew its sponsorship after it was turned into a company.

This week Mr Belcher was said to be away on holiday and the Gazette was told by staff at his cleaning business in Trowbridge that he was uncontactable.

The hearing with the FA takes place at Melksham House at 7.30pm on Monday.

Mr Belcher is expected to attend the meeting.