Eastbourne Eagles chief Bob Dugard insists he has not given up hope of keeping his club alive.

The long-serving senior promoter is concerned he may need to put the team “on ice” next term due to financial losses and his own health concerns.

But Dugard last night told The Argus he would fight on to keep racing alive at Arlington in 2015.

Dugard and co-promoter Trevor Geer will attend a meeting of club promoters on Tuesday as they start to hammer out a framework for next season.

Eagles make no secret of the fact they would prefer the Elite League fixture list to be reduced to make their business more viable.

They say a reduced schedule would allow them to avoid less attractive race nights and to possibly hire bigger name riders unwilling to commit to the current 36-meeting season.

Eastbourne’s future remains in serious doubt and will hinge on how many other clubs think along the same lines in terms of how the league should operate next term

Fans who fear they have seen their last racing for some time at Arlington could yet be proved right.

Dugard has doubts as to how many tracks will agree with his vision for next year.

But he is unhappy with suggestions that the end has come already.

He said: “I haven’t given up hope. There is a promoters’ meeting on Tuesday. Trevor and I will go along.

“We would not do that unless I thought there was worthwhile reason to go.

“I will attend the meeting in the hope of there being something we can work with but it would be wrong for me to say anything now about the meeting itself.

“What I will say is that, at this moment, I’m not committed one way of the other and I am still endeavouring to sort something out for next year.

“It is far too early to take any positives or negatives from anything.”