WINDSOR Park will continue to be the home of Chorley Cricket Club after members overwhelmingly rejected a proposal by the committee to sell the ground.

Just 16 members voted in favour of the plan to sell Windsor Park and move to a new ground in Buckshaw village while 128 voted against the move.

Passions ran high at the emergency general meeting at the club and after the votes were counted the committee stated that it was time for members to "stand up and be counted" and become more active in raising funds for the club or it could die within two years.

The dire state of the club's financial plight was made clear as it was revealed that as well as £30,000 owed to Thwaites Brewery, a further £17,000 was owed to creditors including several thousands to some committee members.

The committee also emphasised that anything up to £250,000 may be needed to update facilities at the club including refurbishing the clubhouse and pavilion, renovating the pitch and creating decent practice facilities.

Former player Ken Tattersall insisted staying at Windsor Park was not an option saying: "I and many of my fellow committee members played on this ground for years and have been members here for many more years.

"Do you not think we have great memories of this place? But we simply cannot continue as we are. If we do not move we may not have a club in five years time."

This argument cut little ice with majority of members, however, with many describing the decision to sell-up at this time as a "panic measure" and doubts expressed over whether the committee had fully explored other means by which money could be raised for the club.

Eddie Preston, leader of the recently formed Windsor Park Action Group, insisted his group had viable plans that would clear the club's debts. He added they also had long-term plans to get the club out of its financial mess with measures such as finding more business sponsorship and better promotion of the club's facilities in the community for use as such things as social events.