THE future of Minehead Football Club is hanging on the outcome of a behind closed doors meeting next week.

Prominent local businessman Barry Richards has offered Minehead Town Council a £10,000 'sweetener' in a bid to enable the council to take back the lease he holds on buildings at the ground.

Council sources remain tight-lipped about the amount, but it represents barely a quarter of the estimated cost of repairs to the dilapidated buildings.

Following the offer from Mr Richards, who leases the stadium and social facilities at the club's Irnham Road ground, solicitors for the council, Clarke Willmott of Taunton have drawn up a shortlist of options for consideration at an extraordinary meeting of the town council on Tuesday.

The press and public will be excluded from that part of the meeting at which the offer will be debated.

The Somerset County Gazette has learned, however, that support to accept the offer may be growing.

Officials at the Screwfix Direct League Division One side have expressed concern that morale at the club has suffered because of uncertainty over its future. It is threatened by health and safety implications of the state of the buildings.

Club treasurer Brian Walder warned that the club could close if a decision was not made quickly.

Any decision by town councillors to accept back the lease of the ground from Mr Richards would effectively make it responsible for at least £30,000 worth of desperately needed improvements.

For the full story, see the Minehead edition of this week's (January 23) Somerset County Gazette.