WEYMOUTH director Paul Cocks fears the club “could die” after filing a notice of intention to appoint administrators.

Cocks stressed that the Terras are yet to enter “full administration” but admits he is “extremely worried” for the club’s future should a potential buyer fail to surface by the end of this week.

Insolvency practitioners Benedict Mackenzie have agreed to take on Weymouth’s case, with entering administration expected to take place in a fortnight’s time.

The two-week period though, ensures that no creditor can close down the ailing club.

In a statement issued to Echosport, Cocks said: “We regret to announce that notice of intention to appoint administrators was filed at the Courts of Justice in London yesterday.

“The Board is now working with the proposed firm of administrators and the Terras Trust to try to find a way to enable the football club to remain in existence.

“The club is now losing money on a week-to-week basis and without financial support from outside the club it is unlikely the administrators will be prepared to enable the club to continue to trade in order to avoid increasing losses to creditors.

“Anyone interested in assisting the club or acquiring the club out of administration is encouraged to make contact with Benedict Mackenzie, 62 Wilson Street, London, EC2A 2BU without delay. Every day is critical.”

However, expanding on the details, Cocks added: “This is one step short of full administration and it provides us with some breathing space in case anyone wants to take the company out of administration.

“The important thing is that this action prevents creditors closing the club down in the meantime.

“There is now a period of two weeks for people interested in taking the club on to come forward, but if they are interested in doing so they must come forward by Friday and make an approach to the administrators Benedict Mackenzie.

“The big difference now is that whoever takes the club over will do so debt free.

“A lot of people approached us recently but nothing was made by way of an offer. Now the situation has changed, the club could be a more attractive proposition.

“However, if no one comes forward the club could die because even without the debts the club isn’t profitable right now.

“It can become profitable but it will take time. This is not the end of the club but it’s getting closer.”

On the playing side, the Terras are expected to incur a 10-point deduction, which would taken them to minus four in Blue Square South.

Cocks though, is hopeful that automatic relegation at the end of the campaign can be avoided.

He said: “We will have to deal with a 10-point deduction at least. The Conference rules are a grey area. They state that entering administration means a 10-point penalty and relegation at the end of the season.

“However, I can think of three clubs that have challenged that rule so relegation is not guaranteed.

“The Football Association have even made it clear that they aren’t particularly happy with the rules and want the Conference to review those rules.”

Cocks arrived in the boardroom last March after he and fellow director Shaun Hennessy had a rescue package accepted by the previous board of directors.

On March 17, Cocks told Echo-sport: “We are confident the club will survive and there is no risk of it going into administration.”

However, the local businessman has declared that relegation from the Blue Square Premier in April made the task of tackling the club’s crippling debts – some £500,000 – almost impossible.

He added: “When we took over the club we thought that if we could keep the team in the Conference National then the club would be financially viable in terms of being able to pay off the debts.

“The big killer has been getting relegated, and in the end it’s proved impossible. We had no choice but to take this action.”

n Ian Hutchinson was left to rue missed chances after Weymouth lost 2-0 to Bath City last night.

The Terras’ boss said: “You have got to put your chances away because if you don’t you get punished and that’s exactly what happened tonight.

“Josh Llewellyn had one three minutes in, three yards out with the goal at his mercy and put it wide, and David Obaze had a couple of chances with his head.”

Speaking of his young defender’s red card, Hutchinson added: “We were very unfortunate with David’s sending off and it was an uphill struggle from there.

“I don’t like to blame referees but I thought the gentleman in charge had a very inconsistent game.

“It’s very frustrating because I’m in the dressing room and I feel for every single one of them, they worked their socks off yet again and have got no rewards.”