NORTHWICH Victoria will know their fate before the Football Conference’s annual meeting next Saturday.

The club revealed today that they had been refused entry to next season’s Blue Square North pending the outcome of an appeal at the Football Association’s headquarters in London on Monday.

League bosses accuse them of breaking finance rules regarding administration.

“It’s make or break time,” admitted owner Jim Rushe.

“The Football Conference appear set on throwing out a club with more than 100 years of history using a rule that even they admit does not make sense.

“We strongly believe our case is a good one.

"It adds insult to injury that they want all the other clubs to be judged by different rules from next Saturday night."

The Guardian has learned that the Wincham club will appeal on two counts; first that the Football Conference board have misinterpreted their own rules and second that the competition’s regulations make it impossible for any team to continue playing in non-league’s top tier if they suffer financial problems.

Vics’ neighbours, Chester City, will also discover if their entry to the Blue Square Premier has been accepted in the coming days.

They too are in administration.

The Football Conference is already considered the toughest league on clubs becoming insolvent.

Two years ago the competition scrapped the oft-quoted football creditors rule.

Now, even if a club has agreed a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA), it must pay all debts owed in full by the second Saturday in May.

If not, then they are kicked out.

Conference general manager Dennis Strudwick prefers the term ‘not eligible for membership’ – used in a letter to Rushe this week.

His colleagues have called on sports lawyer Mel Stein to rewrite the league’s rules ahead of next week’s annual meeting.

They plan to get tougher still, proposing that any club entering administration be automatically relegated the following season.

Vics’ owner says administrators Refresh Recovery Limited are close to agreeing a CVA with the club’s biggest creditors, particularly HM Revenue and Customs.

The club’s tax bill is around £400,000.

“Talks are ongoing,” revealed Rushe.

“But we think we will agree a payment plan with the tax man that will ensure the club’s future.”