A ‘GUTTED’ Stewart Cook admitted Bedfont Town is likely to fold after pulling out of Southern League Division One Central this week.
The FA gave the Peacocks until midnight on Tuesday to find a backer and provide the necessary assurances of a groundshare for 2012/13.
However, with acting chairman and manager Garry Haylock having resigned the posts earlier that day and no one else coming forward to fill the breach, Town were left with no choice but to close the door on 30 years as a Saturday football club.
And, according to secretary Cook, unless founder Doug White, who left in January, or one of the old boys takes a punt on resurrecting the club for 2013/14, this really will be the end.
He said: "I don’t really know if the club will exist in any guise – if it does then I can only really see it being Doug White who makes that happen as it was him who resurrected it originally in memory of his father.
"When we got quite serious as a senior club, some of the boys who could not commit to stepping up to that level formed AFC Bedfont Green to keep it going at a social level, so maybe one of them might pick it up, but I really don’t know at the moment."
Cook revealed this was always going to be the last of his eight seasons as secretary – something he told then chairman White back in August – with the needs of his wife and four young children having to take priority.
However, his plan to take a back seat has not lessened the pain of what has unfolded.
He said: "People who don’t know what it is to throw your all into a club probably can’t relate to our situation, but we are devastated.
"I never imagined my last season as secretary would end like this. I keep using the phrase it is only football because there are more important things, but we are gutted."
The news ends the rise against the odds of a team which came through first Sunday and then Saturday park football and rose steadily through the leagues to reach step four after winning the Combined Counties league by a staggering 17 points in 2008/9.
The move back to Bedfont followed in 2010, but it now seems ‘home’ will prove the end of the road.
Cook sees his last duty as making sure Town go out with all debts paid and heads held high.
He added: "We are just concentrating now on finishing with no debts and with nothing outstanding to our local suppliers.
"It is unfortunate that after three years at the Orchard we could not continue without a benefactor, but we want to finish with a bit of dignity."
