CASH-STRAPPED Devizes Town Football Club faces expulsion by Wiltshire FA amid claims its transformation into a limited company was illegal.

Club chairman Chris Belcher is said to have told the hearing his only interest in the club now is to sell the Nursteed Road ground.

In the past he has spoken privately about plans to sell the site for housing or even to Tesco supermarket but has refused to go on the record.

But at the disciplinary commission on July 7 he told board members this was his intention.

However, Linpac which owns the ground and leases it back to the club for a peppercorn rent, would have to agree before any scheme could go-ahead and it has made it clear it has no interest in selling. Last season Linpac was due to be the club's main sponsor for the season but pulled out after the limited company was set up.

The ground is leased to Devizes Town Football Club rather than Devizes Town Ltd and people who are against a sell-off believe this is an added deterrent.

It is understood the FA is worried that Mr Belcher did not notify club members in writing about his plan to create the limited company and many were unaware of the meeting held to set up the new company.

The limited company does not have a committee and is run by a board. It is believed that Mr Belcher is now the only board member.

Club president Phil Rossiter resigned from the board earlier this year and now vice-chairman Tony Moore and treasurer Alan Stansbury are also believed to have stood down.

The club has been without a secretary since the resignation of Roy King at the end of last season.

Mr Belcher has been given until August 4 to call a meeting of club members and put together the correct paperwork following a disciplinary hearing.

The club's affiliation to the Wiltshire Football Association has been suspended until its next meeting on August 11. This means the club is unable to play any pre-season friendlies or be involved in signing new players.

But a match at Nursteed Road tonight against Bristol City will go ahead as it is a select 11 involving players from a number of clubs rather than just Devizes.

A number of club stalwarts who are concerned about the way the club is run are believed to be prepared to take over if Mr Belcher leaves. and the company status is dissolved. Mr Rossiter said: "We are very concerned about what is happening at the moment but there are a number of people who still believe in Devizes Town Football Club and want to see it survive."

Club manager David Hopkins has the backing of the diehard fans but has been kept in the dark about the off-pitch goings-on.

He said: "I know nothing about suspension."

Mr Belcher, who came to Devizes three years ago, was expected to resign before the end of last season because of the club's mounting debts but hung on to the end of season.

Major shareholder Belcher was a director, along with Mr Moore and Mr Stansbury, at Trowbridge Town when the club folded in 1998.

Mr Belcher has not returned any of the Gazette's phone calls made to his home or his office this week.