Croydon Athletic manager fears for side's future

2:10pm Tuesday 31st August 2010

Exclusive By Graham Moody

Tim O'Shea fears the match-fixing scandal that has rocked cricket will tear his Croydon Athletic side apart.

The Rams manager was shocked on Saturday to hear the club's owner Mahzar Majeed had been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud bookmakers.

The future of the club hangs in the balance with the Football Association set to launch an investigation into its finances.

The Rams players rallied on Monday to beat Carshalton Athletic 2-1 thanks to a late Gareth Williams strike and O'Shea admitted he fears the game could have been the teams last.

"Of course there's a possibility that could have been our last game, not necessarily as a club but maybe as a football team as nobody knows what the outcome is of this is," he said.

"The players don't know what's happening at this moment in time and they need to be paid.

"If they are not then you cannot expect them in any way shape or form to be hanging around.

"If the fact is the club cannot continue financially for the foreseeable future then it's our last game together.

"It's out of our hands regards whether the football club continues and whether the league or FA steps in and suspends us.

"Within the next 48 hours or so I am hoping to get things a little bit clearer on what the immediate future is for Croydon Athletic and ourselves.

"We need answers at the moment and have got to take every game as if it was our last one and that's how we treated Monday."

The allegations have led to many claiming the Rams bought the Ryman Division One South title last season, a suggestion O'Shea angrily denied.

"If it is to be the end of the team together as a group I just want a chance to put the record straight," he said.

"I am completely hurt and frustrated because with these unfortunate allegations people have come up with the idea that the Championship was bought.

"My players and my management team really should be getting credit where credit is due and I can say our Championships winning season was not bought.

"It was purely getting in the best players I could on a budget that was competitive - it wasn't the best budget or the worst.

"I am fortunate enough to be the proud manager of this group of players and it hurts when they are not given their credit."