Croydon Athletic appears on the brink of closure with the deputy chairman Paul Smith admitting he cannot see any way forward for the troubled football club.

The Rams have been in financial difficulty for some time and were hopeful a investor could come up with an 11th hour offer that could save them.

But it appears their large outstanding debts have put off any possible new owner and it is now down to the current owner, Jenna Manji, to decide whether or not to fold the company that owns the club.

They cannot fulfil their Ryman League Division One South fixtures and Smith, also chairman of the Rams Army supporters club, admits the prospects are not good.

"We are still looking at what there is that could possibly help but with every hour that passes it becomes more critical," he said.

"It is difficult to see how anybody would come in now.

"But the winding up of the football club is a decision we cannot make.

"We are running the football team and ultimately the owner is the person that has to take the decision on what she is going to do with the business.

"At this stage, the situation is that there has been efforts made to sell the club over some time - there have been interested parties but that is no longer the case.

"I'm sure the owners are still looking to if that is a possibility.

"The alternative is liquidation and the company being wound up.

"But it has not been wound up and we are still members of the Ryman League and are working with them.

"The problem of the outstanding debts is that the creditors want that money back but I do not think that is the deciding factor - the problems the club has had over some time mean there is a risk factor with it and that is the problem investors have.

"On the playing side, the football club is not in a position to fulfil its fixtures and there no possibility of that going forward."