ST ALBANS CITY'S co-manager Gary Roberts has urged the supporters to show their loyalty to the crisis-ridden club and come out in force when Braintree Town visit Clarence Park on Saturday, November 24.

"It's no good waiting until the club is on the verge of extinction. We really, really need the supporters to get behind us immediately," he said.

"We need them there on Saturday. We need them there in numbers, and we need them to get behind us vocally.

"Hopefully, those that have been put off by Lee (Harding) will feel they are now able to come along again. You could say this is a plea to the fans," said Roberts, who added the team received quite a fillip from the support they got during the Hitchin Town match.

It is believed crowd numbers will be increasingly important as long as City continue in financial limbo, after recent discussions between Roberts and Ian Rogers, chairman of the supporters club, are believed to have concluded funds would not be provided by the club to support players and managers' wages.

It is understood only monies raised through gate receipts and from the bar will, for the time being, be set aside to meet these expenses.

But there remains a real doubt this will be sufficient to cover the £1,000-plus per week currently being spent by City in this regard.

"We'll have to wait and see," Roberts said. "As of today, everyone is up to date in terms of payment."

However, should this cease to be the case, Roberts has hinted he, and fellow team boss Steve Cook, would be unlikely to remain at Clarence Park indefinitely.

Roberts said: "Both Steve and I experienced a winding up order at Baldock Town last year. We ended up virtually running the club, without pay, for four months. I can tell you, it's a full-time job, and it's not something I'd want to do again."

For the full story, see the St Albans Observer.