SALISBURY City are in crisis today after the bombshell news that chairman Ray McEnhill will no longer foot the bill for the club's financial losses.

Whites' directors - including managing director/team manager Geoff Butler and secretary Sean Gallagher - have been asked to resign so that control of the board can revert to the main shareholder, Mr McEnhill, who is still in hospital after suffering a stroke.

The chairman spelled out to the Wiltshire club a year ago that they had to stand on their own two feet, but Salisbury - a buoyant fifth in the Dr Martens League Premier Division after beating Stafford Rangers 4-1 last Saturday - are still losing between £1,200 and £1,300 a week.

Despite good performances on the pitch, average attendances are only between 250 and 500 and, having forked out in excess of £1 million towards Whites' 4,200-capacity stadium at Old Sarum, McEnhill is no longer prepared to keep dipping in his pocket. It is estimated that £38,000 is needed to enable the club to keep running on a semi-professional basis until May.

A statement issued on behalf of the McEnhill family said: "After financially backing Salisbury City FC for 17 years, Ray McEnhill has advised the club's board of directors that, regrettably, he is no longer prepared to fund the club's continuing financial losses. Ray McEnhill has regularly injected other funds to allow the club to continue to compete at a semi-professional level in the Dr Martens League despite year-on-year losses.

"In January 2000 he made it clear to the board that the club must be financially viable. Since then, losses have continued with no sign of improvement.

"During the years that Ray McEnhill has generously supported Salisbury City FC it has only recorded a surplus at the end of three of its financial years, despite fund-raising activities and corporate hospitality facilities."

With his 18th anniversary at Salisbury looming next month, Butler is easily the longest-serving one-club manager in the senior non-league game and recently attracted a crowd of over 2,000 to his testimonial against West Ham.

The former Middlesbrough, Norwich and Chelsea full-back was unwilling to comment today, but it is likely the club will take legal advice.

In the meantime Gallagher has confirmed Salisbury will be fulfilling their fixture at Moor Green this Saturday. A board meeting will be held at the club tonight.

Ray McEnhill's wife Jenny said: "We have lived in Salisbury for more than 50 years and Ray wanted to do something that would benefit the city. He hoped that by providing funds for the stadium, the club would have the opportunity to establish itself.

"I know Ray would wish to thank the directors for all their hard work, but we feel that Salisbury City FC is simply not receiving enough support from the community to continue on its present basis."