THE men trying to keep football in Ledbury say they need all the support they can get.

It was announced last week that Ledbury Town Football Club will close due to rising costs that have “got out of control”.

But an agreement was reached with the New Street ground landlord Property Solutions (Ledbury) Ltd for the club’s two remaining teams to finish the season.

However, Phil Preedy, manager of the reserves, hopes they can carry on playing for much longer.

“Myself, Richard Thick, the Colts manager, and assistant managers Paul Mann and Chris Stone are in the process of trying to maintain football,” he said.

“Our main aim is to finish the season here. Hopefully, we can try and secure something for next season as both sides are doing well. We just need to make sure we finish the season here as we have 60-plus players signed on.”

Preedy revealed Ledbury Swifts, who have a number of youth teams, said they could use their Ross Road base, while there may be scope to use a pitch in Bromsberrow.

“Ultimately, we aim to stay here (New Street) for as long as possible,” said Preedy, who wants to find a main sponsor to cover running costs.

At Ledbury Colts’ game with Orleton Colts Reserves, refreshments were sold at the side of the pitch as the bar was out of use.

“We’ve got to pay officials and put food on for the opposition teams but, on top of that, you’ve got running costs for this place, like £50 for a line-marker and money for washing kits,” said Thick.

“Four of us worked tirelessly in the week to secure football here for the rest of this season, next season and as long as we possibly can. But we need the support of everyone.”

Thick said the news of the club’s closure shocked everyone. He said: “We knew finances had been bad but didn’t know how bad.”

A 13th-minute goal from Liam Watton won the FW Peterson Cup quarter-final tie 1-0 for Orleton.

But Thick added: “We have 12 players aged 19 and under. This time last year, they were playing for a local side in the under-17s league.

“We got thrown together at the last moment and entered the league late this season. We lost our first two games but, bar one draw, had won every game before Saturday.”

Colts missed chances with Zeki Koral having a penalty saved and Dan Powell hitting the woodwork.

They host Malvern Vale in Herefordshire League Division Three tomorrow (2pm).

The reserves visit eighth-placed Hinton Reserves in Division One (2pm).

Anyone who can help Ledbury is asked to e-mail richard.thick@keystoneroofing.co.uk.