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Speaking to the Non-League Paper, former Weymouth Chairman Ian Ridley claims that the club could be as much as £2million in debt by the time this seasons figures are published.
Ridley, a national sports journalist who tried his hand at running the club, claimed that his era lost the club less than £50,000 but that his successor was heading towards another massive loss.
"These are staggering figures for a non-league club, quite breathtaking. At last years AGM Martyn Harrison told fans that Ian Ridley and Steve Claridge were going to bankrupt the club." Ridley told the NLP, "though in cash flow terms we had only lost £48,000 when all the then directors investments had been taken into account."
Ridley lost his post after a bitter war of words with 86% owner Harrison, but now claims that paying £100,000 to release several players "now who are operating successfully in the Conference" was unnecessary along with Claridge's £200,000 pay-off, adding that the £886,000 loss reported is £500,000 over the anticipated loss declared at last years AGM.
The picture attatched to the NLP article details Claridge's contract, at £1000 per week plus £250 an appearance and £200 a win - with both bonuses guaranteed even if he was injured and the team won. The contract also included a £20,000 "loyalty bonus" and £25,000 for promotion to the Conference.
