BROMSGROVE Rovers' future is secure -- for the time being.

The club avoided a winding-up order by paying off a £22,000 debt to HM Customs and Excise yesterday.

But Rovers chief executive Pat Bannister warned that the Dr Martens League Western Division club, which has accumulated debts of over £100,000 is still not out of trouble yet.

He said: "Although we are over this hurdle we are not out of the woods by a long way."

Bannister and his fellow directors took out a loan to cover an estimated shortfall of £8,000 on the money owing, having raised part of the money through a fresh share issue.

That enabled the club to pay the debt and for the winding-up order to be dismissed by a court in Liverpool yesterday, once it was clear that the club's other creditors would not attach themselves to the order -- which could still have put them out of business.

Rovers now plan to hold an annual meeting on March 31, and Bannister said he had at least four potential new directors lined up to join the board -- one of whom is David McQueen, the solicitor who represented the club yesterday.

Bannister, who is still encouraging supporters to buy more shares, added: "The most important thing for us is to get some stability on the board. It is important to get the structure right at the top so that everything else will follow through."

The club can now also resume negotiations with Bromsgrove District Council over extending their lease on the Victoria Ground.

However, he said that manager Steve Daley and his assistant Phil Parkes may still have to go without wages for the time being, having not been paid since January when the problems first came to light.

"We now have to speak to our other creditors. We will be looking to keep the structure in place until the end of the season, with a review when the new directors come in.

"By limiting the size of the squad, that will also help us financially," he said.

Rovers supported organised a collection at last night's Worcestershire Senior Cup semi-final at Kidderminster Harriers which raised £494, to add to £339 collected at Worcester's match with Weymouth on Saturday.

Other collections are likely to be made at Rovers' remaining away games this season.