RIDGEONS LEAGUE: Major sponsors of Wroxham FC are threatening to withdraw funding from the Ridgeons Premier champions following a second serious breakdown in field discipline in the past 21 days.

Major sponsors of Wroxham FC are threatening to withdraw funding from the Ridgeons Premier champions following a second serious breakdown in field discipline in the past 21 days.

There was palpable anger among the money men at Leiston last month when two red cards and a number of yellows were shown to the players and team boss Damien Hilton was dismissed from the dugout before the end of the 1-0 defeat.

Afterwards Hilton apologised for the behaviour that led to lenthty suspensions for striker Lee Gilman and midfielder Justin Fox.

On Saturday up against a young and enthusiast CRC squad, Wroxham were struggling again.

The red mist came down, midfielder Danny White and defender Gavin Pauling were dismissed and there were another eight yellows brandished for Wroxham players.

Once again the wilder elements in the squad had pressed the self-destruct button, throwing into the doubt the capacity of the Yachtsmen to retain the premier title or make further progress in the Carlsberg FA Vase at Mildenhall on Saturday not to mention the Norfolk Senior Cup at Swaffham.

In addition an off-the-field incident could lead to the football club being separately charged by the Norfolk County FA, depending on the contents of the referee's report. This could result in a hefty fine, docked points or both.

One important sponsor Martin Fryer roared his car through the traffic park gate long before the end of the game after commenting: “This unruly mob is an absolute disgrace and has tarnished the image of the club I have supported for years. I'm not sure I want to be part of this any more.”

Head trustee Kenny Cooke was absolutely furious, and after emphasising that none of the CRC players had been cautioned he commented: “This is the second time in a month we've had to put up with this from our players. This behaviour is utterly unacceptable in any decent football team let alone the Ridgeons champions. It has shamed us all.”

He continued: “I'm convening a meeting between the senior officers and our manager as quickly as possible this week hoping to bring in sanctions that will stamp out this offensive conduct that if allowed to continue could bring down the whole club.”

Before Saturday's kick-off Hilton had admitted that suspensions already being served could cost his team dearly what with the Vase game at Mildenhall, the Norfolk Senior Cup at Swaffham and a vital league confrontation at home to Dereham all scheduled for this month.

“The players have recently suffered from a bad attack of frustration, and that is the cause of the trouble,” he declared.

However, this latest example of lack of self-control prompted the manager to deliver stern lectures separately to a number of his players. Hilton may also be considering his own position which was expected to be clarified after this week's top level meeting.