Chief executive John Maggs has pledged to find the cash, but the players might have to wait until the end of the season in six weeks time before they are paid up.

Maggs, whose own salary is partly paid by Crawley Borough Council, and the management team, including boss Billy Smith, have also gone without their money since early March.

One senior player told the Argus: "It's been very difficult, especially for the lads who are students and who rely on their football money for their main income.

"Mr Maggs came into the dressing room before the Merthyr game on Saturday and said his piece, but it has definitely affected the performances."

The Argus revealed last month that the club's latest accounts showed a £140,000 loss when Maggs admitted: "We are hanging on by a thread."

The club have been trying to attract new investment by preparing a prospectus and advertising in the financial press. But only one group have followed up their initial interest and Maggs hopes to meet them at Saturday's home game against Weymouth.

The club have also been in discussions with Crawley Borough Council about reducing their crippling overheads. Their yearly rent to use Broadfield Stadium, which they moved into in July 1997, is believed to be around £14,000 and regulations mean they have to use four times as many paid stewards as they did at their old Town Mead ground.

The council's leisure services department were due to discuss the club's proposals to pay off outstanding rent at a closed-doors meeting last night.

Maggs has offered to step down if any new investor wanted to become chairman.

He said: "Our financial situation is no worse than it was, it's just that we opted to pay one bill rather than another and it means none of the staff, including the players, have beenb paid.

"The players have accepted it and thanked me for my honesty. A lot hinges on the outcome of our discussions with the council, but the situation wasn't helped when we only had 250 playing spectators for the Merthyr game on Saturday which was the lowest league gate at the stadium."

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