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Page last updated at 18:34 GMT, Saturday, 2 May 2009 19:34 UK

Clyde contemplate going part-time

Clyde

Clyde could be forced to turn part-time next season after the cash-strapped Cumbernauld club's relegation.

But manager John Brown insisted he would remain at Broadwood and that the club would survive in Division Two.

"I have a two-year contract, so hopefully I have a future here," said Brown, who last week hinted he could leave at the end of the season.

"I am not for chucking it. I never have been and I never will. Part-time football is something we must look at."

Clyde were forced to fight a battle for their very survival in the run-in to the end of the season.

Their North Lanarkshire Council landlords threatened the club with eviction before an agreement was reached to pay debt arrears.

"We've got a lot of money owed to North Lanarkshire Council and we've got to find that every month," said Brown, who blamed "the rub of the green" and a small, inexperienced squad for the failure to avoid relegation.

We will lose £150,000 in turnover and we have to cut our costs to suit

Clyde chairman Ian Letham

"If that has to come from the players budget, that is what has got to happen."

Like Brown, Clyde chairman Ian Letham expressed bitter disappointment over relegation from Division One but thought the club could survive the subsequent turmoil involved in relegation.

"We have to regroup and make sure that we have our cost structure right," he said.

"We will lose £150,000 in turnover and we have to cut our costs to suit."

Directors John Ruddy and John Woods were voted off the board at Clyde's annual meeting this week and Letham thought that it had been a protest vote from the fans.

He did not rule out further boardroom casualties but said: "The club is going forward and will be here.

"We had a very difficult season last season and managed to escape relegation and had a difficult season this season and did not.

"We have to come back stronger."

Letham, who refused to use the row with the council as an excuse for relegation, admitted that he and other fans had been celebrating after the 2-0 over Dundee in the belief that it was enough to take the relegation battle to the last week of the season.

However, Airdrie United scored a late winner away to Partick Thistle to make next week's final game against Dunfermline meaningless for the Bully Wee.



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see also
Clyde 2-0 Dundee
02 May 09 |  Scottish League
Ruddy is ousted from Clyde board
01 May 09 |  Clyde
Brown hints at Clyde summer exit
26 Apr 09 |  Clyde
Clyde agree Broadwood rent deal
15 Apr 09 |  Clyde


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