THE future of Corsham Town FC has been thrown into doubt following the postponement of tonight's Toolstation League First Division derby against Calne Town and the announcement of an extraordinary general meeting for members next month.

In a statement released last night, the Southbank club revealed that it would attempt to fulfil its fixture list under an interim management team up until the meeting on March 2, with manager Nigel Tripp relieved of his duties.

It is understood that former Melksham Town and Wiltshire U18s boss Mel Gingell, who was Town manager for four years up until August 2011, has stepped into take control of team affairs, although the club would only confirm that an "interim management team'' was in place.

Earlier this week, Tripp told the Gazette & Herald and Wiltshire Times that he would not walk away from the club, despite uncertainty surrounding his future.

Tripp stressed that he had no plans to step down from his post, although he conceded that his fate was in the hands of the club’s hierarchy.

He only took over at the Southbank last summer ahead of the 2016-17 season but with the team currently fourth-from-bottom in the Toolstation League First Division table, his position was being reviewed by the club.

Town have also been beset by internal committee strife, which has come to a head with the calling of the extraordinary general meeting early next month.

A Corsham Town statement said: "Following the resignation of a number of officers of the club and recent internal disputes, the committee of Corsham Town Football Club have taken the decision to hold an EGM to discuss the future of the club and its management.

"The meeting will be held on 2nd March 2017 at Corsham Town's ground on Lacock Road, and will only be open to full members of the club.

"This decision has not taken lightly and whilst we would like to resolve the issues as soon as possible, we are bound by our constitution to give members 14 days’ notice of the meeting.

"In the meantime, the club will attempt to fulfil its fixtures.

"Friday night’s match against Calne Town has been postponed but hopefully we will be in a position next weekend to continue with our fixtures.

"The team will be managed by an interim management team until all issues have been agreed.

"In the interests of harmony at the club, serving club officials will not be available for any further comments.

"The club would like to apologise to all the players and supporters for these developments.''

Tripp hinted at behind-the-scenes problems at Southbank earlier in ther week, admitting: "There is a situation going on at the club at the moment but I definitely won’t be resigning.

“I am happy with how things are going but there are people that feel a little bit different. I don’t really want to get into it because it’s a committee issue.

“From my perspective, we have got a good group of youngsters, who are getting better. When I came here, it was with a three-year plan to get us out of this division and nothing has changed with that.

“Unfortunately, the people that brought me to the club are no longer here and there are new people who look at what we are doing a bit differently.

“It’s all in the hands of the committee but it’s a little bit unprofessional at the moment.

“My loyalty is with the players and the team, that’s what I came here for and nothing has changed.

“The only thing we can be judged on is the results and I understand that but we were never going to win the league this year.

“We want to build a club that can achieve something over a period of time. Some people can’t understand that you can’t win the league first time around.”