THE financial future of Minehead Football Club was in disarray this week after it had the plug pulled on its money-making activities. The surprise decision by Minehead Town Council - owners of the Irnham Road ground and buildings - to impose a ban on the sale of alcohol at the premises follows a barrage of complaints from neighbours and the club's failure to meet the end of April deadline to sign a new lease. Although the council has extended the existing lease until the end of May, it has effectively closed the social club and members' bar but ensured that football can continue to be played. The ban, agreed at an extraordinary meeting of the council on Tuesday, will remain in force until after the outcome of a West Somerset Council licensing panel hearing next Friday when the club's bid for a full premises' licence, covering alcohol sales and public entertainment, will be decided. Tuesday's often heated meeting heard that the club had missed the deadline for signing the new lease by three days, after failing to meet the previous end of February time limit. Councillors, who have become increasingly concerned about a number of issues relating to the running of the social functions, are due to meet again on May 31 to decide what activities they will allow at the ground - after the club is due to host a junior football festival next weekend. Club membership secretary John Burns told the Free Press that the festival would have been a major money-spinner and warned that the many adults attending would be likely to bring alcohol with them if they could not buy it at the ground. A number of wedding receptions are also booked for June and July but Mr Burns said contingency plans to transfer them to another venue if necessary were in hand. The club's committee was due to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the situation last night (Thursday). "There is no denying that the council's decision is a very serious blow," said Mr Burns. He said the committee needed to decide if it was going to press ahead with the forthcoming licence application or withdraw it. "Personally I have to consider my health and well- being and I have had too many sleepless nights over all of this. "Many of us on the committee have just about had enough - most of us work and have full-time jobs. "We just feel very let down by the council." Mr Burns said the club was late signing the new lease because it had been awaiting written confirmation of the council's agreement that £10,000 of the annual £15,000 rent would be 'abated'. However, verbal confirmation was given to a committee member by the council's clerk Sue Sanders following the abatement approval. The club has only been able to hold functions for members and guests since its temporary public entertainment licence ran out, but these have included a controversial 16th birthday party. Neighbours of the Irnham Road ground have regularly complained about the noise from social functions and some were at Tuesday's meeting to again voice their concerns. Mother of two Mandy Chilcott told the Free Press that she had no wish to see the football club closed down. "But I have had my seven-year-old daughter crying because she cannot get to sleep with the noise. "This is what we want to see an end to. We believe the club should concentrate on playing football, forget the social functions and just have its members' bar. "I don't think it should have come to this but the buildings are not suitable and are not in the right location for social events to be held - it is bang in the middle of a residential area. "The whole area needs redeveloping so that many other organisations could use the facilities. "This situation has gone on for years and we have been begging the council to look at the bigger picture." Cllr Simon Stokes, who raised the issue of the club's competency in running the social side of its activities, said he equally had no wish to see the club closed down. "But they should concentrate on playing football. The social club building is too old and not fit for the purpose. "It is simply a money-pit and at the moment is taking everything the club makes, which is a ridiculous situation."