DORCHESTER Town’s playing budget is going to be cut again following the team’s poor start to the season.

The club board has taken action following the Magpies’ exit from the FA Cup on Saturday and their disappointing league form in Skrill South.

The squad was being informed of the cutbacks last night, though the new budget figure has yet to be confirmed – it was already down to below £2,000-a-week in May.

In a statement released by the board, the county town side’s performance against Shortwood in the cup was described as “simply not good enough”.

The knock-on effects of the cut on the players and the club remains to be seen, but the board feel Dorchester’s future is “clear, bright and sustainable”.

“The board of Dorchester Town Football Club were hugely disappointed by the result against Shortwood in the FA Cup,” said the statement.

“We had really hoped that we may have achieved a longer cup run and reaped some of the rewards that such a run would have brought.

“However, while the manager and his team tried their hardest, the performance was simply not good enough.

“The importance of the FA Cup for the club cannot be overstated. FA Cup wins generate increasingly significant financial rewards for the club, which can be reinvested into the team to carry it forward to the next stage.

“In view of this, the club board took the decision to ‘front load’ the budget to allow the best possible chance of FA Cup and early league success.

“The impact of losing the match on Saturday is that the player budget will now have to be reduced.

“The club’s co-chairman, Neal Butterworth, recently commented that the club’s finances are under control. They are.

“But this is very different from having enough money.

“Control of the finances means that the club knows how much it has, when and how to make necessary cuts, and will not hesitate in taking decisive action when required.

“The board fully acknowledge that a long, hard season lies ahead. Phil and his team will continue to work tirelessly to provide league success, but the constraints of finance are unavoidable.”

It goes on to say: “The club has a very clear direction for the future but, in the short term at least, this will be within a lower budget.

“The budget, as has been stated before, can only be based on the money that is coming into the club from supporters, sponsors, fundraising events and so on.

“However, this is the base on which the board are planning to build. A new function room is in development, funded by one-off grant income, which will bring in significant income each year – which will help towards the club’s costs.

“Sustainable fundraising activities are vital and are also being designed to considerably increase annual income.

“The club has plans for a social club, with regular events and bar open most evenings, bringing additional income which will again directly impact on the playing budget.

“The future is clear, bright, and sustainable, but this cannot be delivered overnight.

“The board hope that supporters will understand the hard decisions that need to be made in the short term and will continue to support the club through these challenging times.”

*A fans’ forum will be held in the lounge bar at the Avenue on October 21 at 6.30pm.