FURIOUS club officials are on the lookout for sponsorship after being left with increasing costs by a change of council policy on VAT.
Last year, Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council removed the exemption sports clubs received on VAT when hiring pitches and facilities, resulting in a hike of 17.5% on the cost of the Cumberland Arena.
Chairman Pat Slack said: 'We urgently need sponsors to help our development because we have had to find money that we had not budgeted for when the borough council imposed VAT on our hire charges with very little consultation.
'Club representatives had a meeting in October 2002 with council officials, who promised to sort out a way of paying back the VAT as a grant because the council had made a mistake in believing a club could register with the Inland Revenue and claim it back. Some 10 months later, we are still in the dark and still have no answer.'
Anyone interested in sponsoring the club can contact Slack on 01270 569345.
Meanwhile, the club will play their first friendly at home to Winsford United next Wednesday, August 6, at 6.15pm.
The Crewe FC Soccer School will have some new teams involved this coming season as the club develop the set-up following a very successful season in which their teams won six trophies.
* The South Cheshire Youth League and Crewe FC are jointly organising a five-a-side competition for under-13s teams in the area on Sunday, August 24, as part of the Crewe Carnival. Games will be played at Queen's Park, starting at 10.30am.
Entry is £10 per team - information and entry forms are available from Andrew Latham at the Victoria Community Centre on 01270 537913.
