SENIOR Basingstoke Town officials have held clear-the-air talks with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council representatives to repair their damaged relationship.

Long-standing disagreements - including one stretching back 30-years - and general bad blood have in recent weeks been the cause of renewed arguments between the parties.

The new Basingstoke Town Limited (BTL) board of directors believes there has been a lack of support from the council, who fired a broadside in return about all that has been done in the past for the club.

In a bid to halt the public slanging match, a meeting was arranged last week.

BTL owner and president Rafi Razzak, chairman David Hunt and company secretary Ian Walkom met with two council officers, including deputy chief executive Tony Curtis, in a 90-minute meeting that centred around five main discussion points:

The long-term future of Basingstoke Town FC

The change from the old Basingstoke Town Football Club and Social Club Limited (BTFCSCL) to the new BTL set-up

The terms of the club's Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA), the debts cleared since then and the impact that had on outstanding council invoices

A £36,000 council grant for improvements to the Camrose

A better relationship based on mutual communication and trust.

Hunt said: "I would describe it as an outstanding meeting. We've been waiting some time for the chance to clear the air and, now that we have, we've agreed we're in a position to work together for the best interests of the club and town.

"We all wanted to resolve the situation. The council felt it was being seen in a bad light, when the truth is it has supported the club over a number of years and has invested money."

Hunt's consortium - in tandem with Razzak's cash - invested two years ago to save the club from administration and then paid the £45,000 CVA settlement the club agreed with its major creditors.

Hunt said he was especially pleased to have cleared the issue of old debts to the council.

"They've recognised outstanding service invoices, for work on the ground and pitch, were to do with the old company and was all prior to the new set-up.

"They've agreed that's not a liability for the current club and we thank them for their understanding over that matter.

"The council has also agreed to honour the grant of £36,000 it has held for us, when, in all honesty, it could have spent it somewhere else.

"We will now be having further meetings to discuss how that money will be funded to support the club.

"We will be trying to link that to the requirements selected by the Nationwide Conference league. Hopefully, by spending that money properly with council input, there will be opportunities to get further grants."

Despite building bridges with the council, Hunt said the club is still battling to find new sponsors and investors.

"We are running a tight ship because there's no way that this club is going in the position it was before. We really need to find one or two big sponsors. Without them we are struggling to go forward.

"It's a big challenge, and we're also trying to increase revenue through the social club. It's starting to build but it's not as good as it should be.

"Until we get more investment though, we cannot improve facilities, so we're in a catch 22 situation.

"The Friends of Basingstoke Town do a wonderful job, contributing towards the players' wages, but it would be great to be able to support Ernie more, especially if we keep doing as well as we are on the pitch and a play-off place is achievable.

"The biggest positive is the way the team is doing. There's a lot of commitment and enthusiasm.

"It's very disappointing to go out of the FA Cup, but their better displays in the league have been reflected in the gate. On average, we're up about 80 people per game.

"Hopefully, we can keep that going and maybe put a run together in the FA Trophy or Carthium Cup and we'll attract some investment."