Forest Green Rovers meet first tax deadline

Peake insists Forest Green will not go the same way as Chester City

The immediate future of Forest Green Rovers is secure after the club paid 40% of their overdue tax bill.

The New Lawn side was given until 7 April to pay £18,000 of the £45,000 it owes to HM Revenue & Customs and is awaiting an official response.

"We've had a few supporters take up the offer of buying a ten-year season ticket," club vice-chairman Colin Peake told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

Rovers now hope to pay the remaining balance in monthly instalments.

We've not defaulted on any loans, we've not defaulted on our other payments to the Revenue

Colin Peake

Peake added: "Supporters have been very good to help us reach this first payment."

Forest Green moved to a new ground in 2006 and are in the process of becoming a club limited by shareholding with a view to becoming less reliant on the pockets of individual directors.

Club chairman Trevor Horsley has previously admitted that overall the club needs to raise around £250,000 to put it on a solid financial footing.

But Peake insists that although the club will need investment, it has only reached crisis point over this tax bill, and should now be able to grow financially.

"I would stress once again we've not defaulted on any loans, we've not defaulted on our other payments to the revenue," Peake said.

"This blip has brought it into focus and I think it was good that it was brought into focus at the time it was."

While supporters have provided the bulk of the money to pay the first payment, Peake remains hopeful that bigger investors can be found.

"One of the things about talking to new investment is probably waiting until the 24th of April when the season ends and we find out where we are going to be playing next year," Peake said.

"We will re-adjust once we know where we're playing and then perhaps new investors may decide to put money where they at the moment are considering putting it."

A Keep The Green Alive appeal aims to provide £250,000 to secure the long-term future of Rovers, who lie 21st in the Blue Square Premier table.

The side are only a point from safety, and have a game in hand on Eastbourne who lie in 20th spot.