They have two well-run senior sides in the Pembrokeshire Football League and a thriving junior section – but the existence of St Clears AFC is hanging by a thread this morning following eviction from their base at Welfare Field.

The club have received a letter from St Clears Town Council stating they were ‘no longer permitted to use the field for the club’s games and training activities’. The letter says the motion is in place with immediate effect, and that all club gear and equipment must now be removed from the premises.

The issue surrounds the club’s refusal to sign a contract with the Town Council, which would see an extortionate increase in costs to remain at the venue.

For more than 50 years, the field was maintained by Carmarthenshire County Council, who in 2017 opted to give up the contract from April 1st of this year, and pass responsibility onto the local Town Council.

And that is where the problems started.

The Town Council approached the club before Christmas to say they wanted a contract in place in time for the handover, and then in early 2018 presented their terms.

Aeron Court, who helps run the club’s junior section, explained to Telegraph Sport: “We originally paid £2100 a year for the hire of the pitch and changing rooms.

“Earlier this year the Town Council approached us with a new three-year contract which would increase the costs by £1200 for the first year, and a further £400 extra for both the second and third years.

“As a club we simply can’t afford that. We provide our teams with a kit and what we charge players and parents only covers the cost of their insurance. We are not a profit based club.”

Furthermore, Aeron said the club sought out a cheaper maintenance quote and presented it to the Town Council, but were told to ‘like it or lump it’.

“If they go through with this then we will disband,” said Aeron.

“It will have a terrible effect. We have so many young junior players and two senior teams who will all have to go elsewhere.”

An online petition titled ‘Save the Saints’ has already passed 500 signatures, with the link available via the St Clears AFC Twitter and Facebook account.

And the club has received plenty of support from the local community this morning, with many taking to social media to voice their discontent.

“All you need to do is see how many kids and parents are down the fields on a Saturday morning. It’s a scandalous decision,” said Ceri Phillips, Swansea City Community Trust Area Co-ordinator for Pembrokeshire.

Matthew Davies, who plays cricket nearby for Whitland CC, added: “I understand the Town Council needing to increase income but working with St Clears to find a resolution is the way forward - not pulling the plug and leaving over 80 kids and two senior sides with no facilities.”

Another club member in Darren Bujega, emphasised the fixture problems the club now faced for the remainder of the season: “We have teams from under 7s up to under 15s that will suffer if we cannot play our games. We are currently trying to find a pitch for our under 12s this evening as they have a league game.”

There will at least be some temporary respite, with Pembrokeshire Football League secretary Brian Hawkins confirming moments ago he had received an e-mail from the Town Council permitting the club to use the field for the next two weeks at least.

In their letter, the Town Council insisted they ‘had not taken the decision lightly’, and said the club would continue to be able to use the ground on receipt of a signed contract.

Telegraph Sport tried to contact St Clears Town Council this morning, and are awaiting a response.