Debt free and ready to roll!

12 Jul 2016 By David Watters

EVO-STIK League Southern Bideford are celebrating being "debt free" for the first time in nearly thirty years.

The Robins are heading into the 2016-17 EVO-STIK League Southern Division One South & West season with a clean slate and a spring in their step after settling an outstanding debt owed to HM Revenue & Customs last week and avoiding a winding-up order.

Club director Ian Knight has told fans they can now look forward to bright future at The Sports Ground after being indebted for much of the time since going bust 29 years ago and re-forming as Bideford AFC.

He told the North Devon Journal: "The club has paid off all its debt to HMRC and it will be the first time the club is just running on loans. In 1987 the club went under and we formed under the new banner, and it is the first time since then that this club has been debt free.

"We have got a new finance manager in place – Peter Ellis – we have four new directors on board and the club is now looking to move forward with a year of consolidation and then try to get back to where we were last season.

"We were in a situation where we were told we hadn't paid everything the tax man thought we should pay from last year. We thought we had but HMRC did some more digging and said they wanted more money from us. They wanted us to sit down and talk, we have done that, paid back the money and sorted it all out last week."

He added: "We were disappointed it wasn't all dealt with last year as we were assured it was but we have had assurances that there will be nothing further."

Where next?

League Challenge Cup Draw The draw for the First Round of the League Challenge Cup has been made.

Battling Centurion won't be beaten Cirencester Town midfielder Jamie Reid could be sidelined for another EVO-STIK League Southern season after suffering another anterior cruciate ligament tear but he won't be giving up the game.