Northwich Victoria, tomorrow's FA Cup opponents for the U's, are in deep financial trouble.

The club looked set to go into liquidation at the end of October, but a group of Manchester businessmen came to the rescue.

The consortium is in the process of taking over the club and are very close to doing it, they say.

But a complication has arisen in their initial plan to put Northwich Victoria into administration.

They thought that would have meant the regulatory ten point deduction in the Blue Square Premier this season and inevitable relegation to the Blue Square North.

The Conference say, however, that because the club was put into administration only three seasons ago, a second such action, coming so soon after, would mean Vics being relegated two divisions, into the Unibond League.

Desperate for that not to happen, the consortium have delayed the take-over and are looking to put together a rescue package to buy the club and take on its £500,000 debts.

They then hope to negotiate individually with each creditor.

The businessmen have no link with the club, but are keen to see that it doesn't go to the wall.

And it is they who are paying the players' wages.

However, because of the club's financial predicament, the Football Association have put a block on them receiving any prize money, for example, from the FA Cup.

That goes into a fund which will then be released when they are back on their feet.

The prize for getting through tomorrow is £16,000.