Farsley demise a warning for Rangers

Stafford Rangers manager Chris Brindley has warned expelled league rivals Farsley Celtic may not the last club in the Blue Square North to go bust.

The Leeds-based club were disbanded and expelled from the division last week with reported debts of £750,000, after failing to fulfill their last three fixtures before the decision was made.

Their league record for the season was subsequently expunged, costing Rangers a point after a 2-2 home draw in August, meaning Saturday's 2-2 draw at Northwich Victoria merely cancelled the deficit.

It could have been worse - twice the corresponding fixture at Farsley was postponed due to the weather.

The death knell for the 102-year old club completed a dramatic fall from brace, as only two seasons ago both the Celts and Rangers were in the Blue Square Premier although both teams were relegated at the end of the campaign.

Brindley was the man tasked with guiding the team out of the mire after taking charge that December, with the existence of the club under threat after much-documented financial problems of their own.

And the manager is just thankful it's just not Stafford Rangers added to the list of Farsley Celtic, Chester and Scarborough.

He said: "We are lucky it's not us, with all that this club has gone through. We feel grateful in that respect, because it's horrendous out there. We are all in the same boat, a lot of clubs have got no money and are struggling to stay afloat in these difficult times.

"It sounds hard, but Farsley Celtic may not be the last club at this level to fold."