A football club that has been part of the community for 130 years is under threat over a £9,000 debt.

Bicester Sports Association (BSA), which owns football and rugby pitches off Oxford Road, Bicester, has issued a legal notice asking Bicester Town Football Club to pay the debt within 60 days.

But the club, which has 40 players in two teams, said it did not have the money.

The club is also claiming BSA has about £1.5m in the bank as well as land assets and does not need the debt paid urgently.

Club secretary Nick Haverson said: “If we are evicted we cannot go elsewhere. We have to have that standard of ground.

“I cannot see a good resolution. All I can see is brink-manship of the worst kind.

“This will force the club out and that will be horrendous for sport.

“Here’s an organisation with millions of pounds in assets forcing us out because we owe £9,000.

“I don’t wish to underplay £9,000, but that’s perverse and I think it’s shameful they should be doing this to the football club. They seem to be more about making money than promoting sport.

“At the moment we are barely breaking even. All we will be able to offer them is £150 a month.”

When a new committee took over running the club in 2006 it owed £34,000, which included about £9,000 owed to the brewery which supplies its beer, £7,000 in electricity bills and £9,000 in rent.

So far, that figure has been reduced by about £10,000.

Annual fees of about £3,500 are paid directly to the BSA.

Mr Haverson said: “We made improvements to their asset. We have been acting in good faith and given commitment to a sustainable football club.

“We have taken steps over the last few years to reduce costs. We don’t pay players, we don’t pay ourselves, we do it for the love of the sport.”

He said if the club folded the loan would never be repaid and the town would lose its football club altogether.

BSA chairman Adam Wade said it was inappropriate to comment on financial matters concerning clubs.

He said: “Bicester Sports Association is run by volunteers who provide facilities for sports users at no cost to the local taxpayer.

“Our sole source of income is through charging for the use of our facilities.

“Failure by any user club to pay for their usage puts additional strain on our ability to provide sport for other user clubs.”