THOUSANDS of members of grass roots sports and social clubs could be liable to pay back huge debts if their clubs fold, experts have warned.

It comes after the Football Association warned that as many as 200 members of AFC Totton may be held responsible for the £185,000 bills its committee ran up in the past two years.

Shocked members have told the Daily Echo they were kept in the dark about the club’s finances and are now doubly dismayed by the liability threat if a solution cannot be found.

Sports leaders and regulatory bodies today warned that members of all similarly constituted clubs could also be hit in the pocket if things went wrong.

Malcolm Brown, general secretary of the Hampshire-based National Association of Recreational Clubs, said: “In general, any social club is run by committee, it’s owned by the members.

“If you are trading in debt you are liable because you are running a club knowing this.

“Technically members could be liable. They should always be wary of what is going on.”

Paul Thompson, chairman of the Southern Electric Premier Cricket League, agreed.

He said: “If it’s a club you care about and at the end of the day if you are putting money into it, even if it’s just a fee, most certainly you should be aware and concerned with what is going on.”

But fans speaking to the Daily Echo argue that they should not be made liable because the true extent of the debt has only come to light in the past few weeks.

Supporter John Cunningham said: “Surely it is in the members’ best interest to be kept informed of the finances of “their club” upon request.

“In fact would it not be best practice to have kept a copy of such records in a locked safe at the club somewhere for easy access, yet not even the then chairman knew where such records were.

“Surely therefore, after many requests without success, the liability reverts to those who would not release such information.”

Another worried fan, who did not want to be named, said: “I am angry and worried at the potential that someone could come knocking on my door demanding money for something I had nothing to do with.

“Members were in no way expecting that they could be potentially liable for debts incurred by the club.

“I just went to watch football and did not want to get involved in the politics.”

Interim chairman Mick Carter, a club member, stepped in earlier this month following the resignation of Paul Wallace, and said that many of the members were pensioners and could not afford to pay up.

He said: “Nobody has the money – and they will not get a penny from me.”

Mr Carter said a newly formed company, Testwood Park Limited, was preparing to step in to buy the club’s Testwood Stadium.

But if that fell through and the club was unable to sell its ground, the debts could fall on members.