THE former treasurer of a junior football club has admitted stealing �6,900 from its bank account.

Joe McIntyre was in charge of the finances of St George (Easton-in-Gordano) Junior Football Club when he took the money between August 2010 and May of this year.

On July 30, he appeared in front of North Somerset magistrates charged with committing fraud through abuse of his position.

The 33-year-old of Heywood Road, Pill, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison, suspended for two years. He was also given a six-month curfew and was ordered to pay �1,000 in compensation, along with �85 in court costs.

The junior football club, which holds training sessions at pitches at Ham Green but also uses facilities at St Katherine’s School during the winter, works with hundreds of young footballers from Pill and the surrounding area.

The loss of money threatened the future of the club and, earlier this year, Pill and Easton-in-Gordano Parish Council offered a loan to help it pay its bills for the remainder of the season.

However, thanks to the efforts of members and villagers who rallied round to support the club, enough was raised through donations.