Baker says they are no longer pursuing finance from the council

Cheltenham Town chairman Paul Baker says the club has agreed an interest free loan with an unnamed benefactor to help strengthen their finances.

The Robins applied for a £100,000 loan from the borough council earlier in the year but funds were never released.

Baker told BBC Gloucestershire: "We've been able to borrow some money from another source. It's interest free, and from a non-board member.

"It's fantastic, and we haven't needed to go to the council."

He added: "That's in the past now and we want to move forward."

The League Two club applied for the council loan after just avoiding entering administration in February.

"It was a sensible proposition but the information they wanted would have taken weeks to compile. I got to a stage where I couldn't be bothered," Baker said.

A string of postponed home games during the cold weather last season forced the Robins to release players and make others available for loan.

Baker hopes the new loan will mean an easier winter this year.

"We don't have big debts but we do have cash flow problems," he said. "We get a substantial payment from the Football League but it doesn't come month by month.

"We get a lump in October, which we've just had, and other lump in April. The crunch comes in January and we have to manage that period until the end of March."

Cheltenham drew their biggest attendance of the season so far at the weekend, with more than 4,000 watching Saturday's 1-1 draw with Notts County.

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