Lewes will meet with a new group of possible investors today in a bid to find a resolution to their long-running financial problems.

The Rooks remain desperate to avoid being put into administration but know a decision has to be made in the next few days.

Managing director Martin Elliott is trying to bring in new investors.

He said: “We are having a meeting with some new people this afternoon and some other people we have met previously on Monday.

“They have expressed a wish to help out. I have spoken to the new people at length over the phone.

“We will continue to put the word out and are happy to talk to anybody.

“At the beginning of next week we will try to get everybody together again. We have some fairly big decisions to make.

“We are trying to avoid the administration route. One or two people are helping out with covering the trip to Barrow and the hotel.

“People are chipping in. If we can get that to a level that prevents us going down the administration route that is what we would favour.”

A winding-up petition from Portakabin, which was delayed earlier this month, is set to be heard on April 1 but Elliott hopes to resolve that problem.

He added: “If half a dozen of us could chip in £1,000 that would put that one to bed.”

It has emerged that Lewes, under Conference rules, may have to pay their debt in full if they do enter administration.

So they are doing all they can to make it more appealing for new investors to get involved with the club as it is.

Elliott said: “If there are people out there who want to get involved in some shape or form, we – the existing management team of the directors and the likes of Terry Parris – would try to structure something that gives them a reasonable chance of making a success of it.

“We don’t want to leave somebody with a millstone round their neck so that it all fails in the early part of next season.”