The Ryman Premier League could be one club short for the rest of the season, as Croydon Athletic appear to be in meltdown just a week after the club’s millionaire owner, Mazhar Majeed, was at the centre of allegations in the News of the World‘s Pakistan cricket spot-fixing expose.

Today at their Thornton Heath ground, the Rams lost 3-1 to Concord Rangers, before the playing squad and the entire coaching team left the club for the final time, none of them having been paid for the past three weeks.

With the News of the World promising further damaging revelations this Sunday from its investigation into Majeed, and HM Revenue & Customs having pored over the club’s premises and books all week, as predicted by Inside Croydon, the outlook for Croydon Athletic is looking bleak.

First to leave the club was Athletic’s newly appointed chief executive, Martin Eede, who opted not to take up his new job which was due to start on Tuesday.

“I was very happy to come and join the club but in view of the information I now have, I have changed that decision,” Eede told the Croydon Advertiser.

After today’s game at the KT Stadium, the players and staff gathered on the pitch in front of fans, where Tim O’Shea, the manager, broke down with the emotion of the occasion as he tried to speak.

“We humbly apologise that we can’t carry on any more,” one of the staff announced.

To watch Terry Duffelen’s video of the emotional post-match address, click here