TOWN fans hearing the word 'administration' should immediately experience a touch of deja vu.

This is not the first time the Evening Advertiser has had to report such a development at the County Ground.

The front page on February 2 2000 screamed 'It's Make or Break Time'.

After months of financial hardship Cliff Puffett (then chairman) reluctantly decided to hand over the running of the club to accountants Kroll Buchler Phillips.

At that time, the club was reported to be losing £25,000 per week and facing an end of season debt of £1.5m.

Puffett, had worked tirelessly to generate extra revenue but in the end there was no alternative.

Speaking at the time, he said: "Quite simply, the projected profits for the next three years were insufficient to attract the necessary funds required to implement the rescue plan. I am convinced the action the board has taken is the most appropriate in the circumstances."

Puffett said called in the administrators had been one of the most painful decisions in his life but that it had also given the club a chance to emerge as a stronger unit.

Once the administrators were in place, the task began to seek fresh financial investment.

Hopes were raised just over a month later when millionaire tycoon Terry Brady expressed an interest in the club.

As the 1999/2000 season drew to a close Brady was persuaded to climb on board and he arrived vowing to lead the club into a new state-of-the art stadium by 2003,

As the promises and visions continued to flow, the club finally emerged from administration in the summer of 2000.

Puffett described it as 'a new beginning'. Sadly, it was not long before the storm clouds gathered over the County Ground once more.

'Investors' Danny Donegan and Ian Blatchley appeared, the Front Garden stadium began to look anything but inevitable and the image of 'stability' was gradually eroded.

Harmony at board level evaporated, relations between club and council grew increasingly hostile and it became clear that all was not well.

Almost exactly a year ago, the club's future was threatened again when the 'investors' threatened to pull the plug.

From that moment on, worries about crashing into the abyss have rarely been far away.

The close season saw a disgraceful 'will they or won't they stay saga' with Brady eventually quitting.

But his successor did not prove popular with figures such as Puffett and Carson.

The consortium came back and have decided there is only one safe course of action.

Whether administration is the key to salvation remains to be seen.