THE final whistle could be set to blow for one of Inverclyde’s most iconic sporting organisations.

Bosses at Greenock Juniors fear the club, which was formed 61 years ago, will not survive the season.

Chairman Alex Wilson says rising costs, a dwindling fanbase and lack of people to run the club mean the situation has reached crisis point.

Mr Wilson told the Telegraph: “I’m absolutely gutted. We are going to fold between now and the end of the season.

“I’ve been with the club for 35 years and my father was one of the founder members.

“It’s going to come to an end, as there is no help available to us.

“Our sponsor has been very good to us but they can’t be there all the time.”

Mr Wilson, 69, says there is no-one left to run the club, which plays out of Ravenscraig Stadium, with older members leaving and no new blood to take their place.

He said: “Basically we’ve not got anyone on the committee, we’ll be lucky to finish the season.

“There were three of us, but two decided to leave at the end of the last season.”

The club hasn’t had its troubles to seek on the pitch after being relegated last year and that has had a damaging knock-on effect this season.

Alex said: “Our support hasn’t been so good this year. When we played Pollok we got a big crowd but we don’t have teams like this in the division.

“When we play teams like Johnstone Burgh we don’t get the same crowd and we’re struggling to pay the £140 for the rent of the ground. 

“We were in the west region junior cup last season and that shows just how far we have fallen – we were in the top 12 teams in the country but lost seven players at the end of the season.”

“I feel pretty down that a town the size of Greenock cannot sustain a  junior football club. It is partly due to public apathy.

“When Morton play away why don’t people come to see Greenock Juniors?”

Mr Wilson highlighted charges at the stadium, which is owned by the council and managed by Inverclyde Leisure, as too much for the club on top of other expenses.

Team manager Stephen Mooney says the stadium fees are so expensive that his players can’t afford to use it for training.

He said: “We can’t even change at our home ground for training because of the exorbitant cost.”

Mr Wilson added: “Ravenscraig used to be the hub of all the cup finals, now we’re the only club to use it. If we fold, it will be a white elephant.

“We hope someone will come in to support the club. We need bodies. I’ve got to spend more than £200 putting on a game and I might only make £100 on the gate every week.

“We have applied to the council for a grant. That’s a lifeline, not a steady way of operating.”

Inverclyde Council says it has not been approached by the club and has pointed out that charges for Ravenscraig are set by Inverclyde Leisure.

David McCorkindale, Inverclyde’s Leisure’s head of leisure and community services, said: “These are standard charges and take into account employee costs, utilities, maintenance, insurance etc.

“The booking is from 12-5pm and the charge reflects the length of the stadium booking including changing rooms, hospitality suite and kitchen facilities to sell their own catering supplies.”