Atherstone Town are tonight thrashing out a battle plan for the future of the club at an emergency meeting of the club's committee.

Chairman Brian Henney went into the footballing caucus minutes ago determined to find a solution to the "events of the last week" which led a "disgusted" playing staff to threaten to walk away from a crisis that already claimed the top management tier.

The team, now under the 'in-house' control of the club, have basically served notice that a further episode of allegations of "recent racism amongst our own fans" will leave them players joining ex-bosses Scott Rickards and Mike Fowler in the departure lounge.

Loyal club secretary David Turner was the third man to exit over the weekend in the wake of Saturday's game with Midland Football League Division One Stafford Town being briefly halted after allegations of racial abuse against goalkeeper Samuel Amedu.

But the chairman said ex-secretary Turner would be among the 10 committee members expected to attend tonight's gathering at Sheepy Road.

Mr Henney added: "Dave Turner will be attending as a committee member tonight.

"He is still very much committed to the club."

The chairman has promised to root out "racist cancer within the club" and "immediately look after the players to whom we owe so much, and for whom this is the most serious of issues in football today".

He has spoken with Frank Bell, the chairman of Adders' FA Vase quarter-final opponents – Consett AFC.

"They sympathised with what we are going through and said they know the same thing could happen at their club," added the Adders chairman.

Mr Henney couldn't indicate whether a statement would be forthcoming after the meeting.

But the club received some moral support from civic quarters.

Atherstone Central Councillor Neil Dirveiks told Nub News: "I am sad for the town, and for the football club's genuine supporters.

"I am really sorry for those running the club who are trying so hard to make it work.

"Their efforts are being trashed by a small minority.

"It is not reflecting well on the town and people ask: Oh you come from 'Atherstone'."

After a meeting with the players on Tuesday night Mr Henney announced: "It has been agreed that the club will in-house manage the team going forward with immediate effect until further notice.

"Allegations of racial abuse from Saturday's game have now been passed to Staffordshire Police to investigate.

"The club stand firmly on a zero-tolerance policy to racism in this matter, and persons identified are the subject of immediate life-time bans. "

In a separate statement, the players roundly condemned "any form of racism", adding: "We will not accept or tolerate it.

"The recent racism amongst our own fans has left us disgusted and embarrassed to have to be associated with it.

"We understand that the culprits are under a life-time ban from the ground and the matter is now under police investigation.

"We would like to place on record that if any more of this disgusting behaviour happens,