Baker has been chairman of Cheltenham since 1997

Cheltenham Town chairman Paul Baker has revealed the days of him and directors pumping money into the club are over.

He refused to disclose the amount he has put into the club over the years but insisted it is "significant".

"For too long we've relied on people like me and others to bail the club out and put money in willy nilly," Baker told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"We now need to run it on a better business footing. Off the pitch the challenge is to try and break even."

"There comes a time when enough's enough and we've taken a decision following a very difficult year last year financially, things are still incredibly tight at the football club."

Cheltenham's position was not helped by the resignation during the 2008/09 season of Simon Keswick, who regularly featured in the top 20 of football's rich list, although he remains a large shareholder in the club.

The club have appealed to Cheltenham Borough Council for a loan twice in 2009 to help ease their problems, having successfully repaid a similar loan in the late 1990s.

Manager Martin Allen has played his part, recently completing a sponsored 76-mile bike ride to boost his playing budget.

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