The legality of votes cast at a special meeting of troubled Morris Motors Athletics and Social Club is to be challenged by dozens of members.

A group of members describing themselves as the steering committee of the club say the meeting last Friday endorsed them as the new executive committee and gave them permission to raise the amount the club may borrow from £300,000 to £750,000.

They also say club members endorsed club chairman Tom Doliamie's decision to suspend the membership of the former executive committee.

But former executive committee member Colin Butler told the Oxford Mail that a legal challenge to the vote would be mounted.

Michael Kelly, signing himself "secretary," said: "This complete vindication of the actions of the chairman and steering committee means that the club, although in a serious financial situation, can now move forward with the new development, which will not only benefit the club members but also the local community."

But former committee members claim the votes were "railroaded through" and were "unconstitutional and invalid."

Mr Butler said: "The meeting was an unconstitutional farce because, for a start, the chairman was not appointed according to club rules.

"The chairman refused to take a vote on the validity of the self appointed committee -- which was one of the reasons for the meeting.

"He refused to take a vote on the validity of the suspensions but announced that suspended members were not allowed to stand for election.

"It was also announced that my nomination as a candidate for the committee was ruled out of order because my proposer was arbitrarily suspended as a club member by club chairman Tom Doliamie -- who suspended him between the time he proposed me and the start of the meeting."

Rival factions of the club, founded by Lord Nuffield in the 1920s, started the acrimonious dispute last year over whether or not it should build a 28,000sq ft new clubhouse -- putting the club in further debt -- or a smaller building.