Bath City Football Club fans are strongly opposing the joint proposal by Bath rugby club and Bath and North East Somerset District Council to re-house their club at the Recreation Ground.

In a bid to counter record trade losses by the football club, chairman Steve Hall, a lifetime fan of the club, is considering the closure of Twerton Park.

Fans have expressed their anger at the proposed move of their beloved team. Many fear that sharing the Recreation Ground with Bath RFC would result in a lower profile for Bath City and a squeezing out of football fans.

"I don't ever see Bath City sharing with the rugby. It will never happen. It would be the end of Bath City," said Steve Fenton of Foxhill.

Paul Evans, editor of Bath City Football Club fanzine Cider With Randall agreed: "They could shrink the ground by having a border between the ground and the stadium. As a Bathonian I don't agree with it."

But club chairman Steve Hall is appealing to fans, who through shareholding, effectively own the club, to back the relocation bid or watch the club sink.

He said: "I'm concerned about the long-term best interests of the club. The fans will hold the cards and my biggest worry is that sentiment will rule over reason."

A lifetime fan of the game, Mr Hall has watched ticket sales increase by 50 per cent over the past three years since becoming chairman, but points to huge debts as the reason for leaving Twerton Park.

He said: "We have a fundamental problem in that we owe £0.5m and have no tangible way of paying. We are trading at a £40,000 to £50,000 loss per year."

"Our liabilities will soon be more than our assets and it is not legal to trade like that."

Faced with financial problems, the beleaguered club has been attempting to find a new ground for some time. A site at Newton Fields fell through as it was earmarked by Bath and North East Somerset for a possible park and ride site.

Twerton Park itself has proved something of a white elephant as the designated use of the ground is for sport or farm animals.

One source of concern about the latest proposal is the difference in supporter numbers, but Mr Hall expects partnership status.

He said: "Bath RFC has ten times the turnover we have, but the formula we are looking for is a 50-50 split on the bar and facilities. We expect partnership status, but Bath rugby team are the Manchester United of rugby, whereas we are a small provincial team."

The invitation to move to the Recreation Ground is part of a multi £million proposal being considered by B&NES which would replace the Sports and Leisure Centre and the Pavilion with a 16,000 capacity stadium and millennial sports facilities.

Rugby club development manager Bob Calleja described the move as an attempt to put Bath on the sporting map.

He said: "Many rumours are flying about and it's good to deal with some of them. Rumours that we will move out of town if we don't get this are wrong. This is a genuine attempt to keep Bath at the top."

The rugby club faces the opposite problems to Bath City FC, with rising audiences and an 8,200 capacity temporary stand which is unsuitable for the students, women and families the club hopes to attract.

Options such as a sinking stand proved too costly for the club to pursue. A sports audit and public consultation plan will be conducted to research the viability of this plan.

Before developments proceed, the legal covenant designating the ground as belonging to the people of Bath will be investigated.

Mr Calleja welcomes public enquiries into the project.

He said: "Hopefully the project will move forward in a constructive way. My door is always open and anyone can ring me anytime on (01225) 325000."

Bath RFC occupies the Recreation Ground for nine months of the year and the team have played there since 1890.

Bath FC shareholders face making the tough choice this autumn.