HASTINGS Town will go into administration on Monday unless a new buyer can be found by tomorrow.

Owner Mark Gardiner is adamant that he won't sink another penny of his lottery fortune into the 105-year-old football club.

Gardiner, who saved Town from closure when he took over in July 1997, has offered to hand over control to members of the club's old management committee, which was disbanded last month.

But the group, led by vice-chairman Pat Kelly, say they can't take on the day-to-day costs, which would be around £40,000 until the end of the season, as well as current liabilities of £60,000.

Gardiner said: "I have made some mistakes but the worst was to get involved in football. If I could turn back the clock I would have just got a hospitality box at Tottenham instead.

"People seem to think they don't have to do anything because I will just keep writing out the cheques. I don't think the people of Hastings care if they have a football club or not."

Gardiner has also offered Kelly's group £9,000 in advance sponsorship and says he will sign over ownership of the Pilot Field clubhouse, which was built at a cost of £90,000 15 months ago and is believed to be worth £35-40,000.

He said: "They could borrow money against or even sell the clubhouse if they wanted to and that applies to any person out there who is interested in taking over the club.

"But there is no way I'm going to clear the debts up as well, that is just insulting my intelligence.

"I have put £500,000 into local football in the last three years which is probably more than any person at any other time, but I have had a gutful of it now."

Kelly said: "On the income we get at the moment it would simply be a case of survival until we could attract new investment from outside. But if Mark doesn't pay the outstanding debts I'm afraid we are not in a position to take it on."

Gardiner put Town up for sale in December when his accountant told him that he would have to make up an £80,000 shortfall at the end of the season if expenditure remained at current levels.

Since then the wage bill has been slashed to around £2,500 per week after several top players were told they could leave.

The latest departure is former Albion defender Mark Morris who was signing for Dr Martens League rivals Dorchester today.

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