After a disappointing end to another season, Bill Fotherby admitted last week his club had little chance of progressing up the football ladder without a significant boost in funds, and called for a "white knight" to come forward.

Now that SOS call has been heard, and though the scale of the cash injection has not been confirmed, Mr Fotherby is optimistic about the talks, scheduled for next week.

He said: "Attracting this investment would make a big difference to the club, and allow us to improve."

"If Harrogate Town can get into the Football League, it would put Harrogate on the map, no question about it."

The business talks could provide welcome news for football fans and residents across the town as a whole, after Mr Fotherby's club missed out on the play-offs for the third time in four years this season, sparking much debate about the future of the club.

He hinted that low attendance figures had made sponsorship a particularly important issue and he said lucrative investment could be the difference in helping the club reach the higher tiers of English football.

He said: "If you can't get people through the gate, you depend on sponsorship and people providing investment."

Negotiations are in their infancy, but Mr Fotherby has been pleased by the approaches.

"I've had a couple of letters and I've arranged to meet these people, which is very nice," he said.

"If anybody is interested in the club and its welfare it's nice to know."

"These are businessmen that have been supporting the club and looking at the results."

Mr Fotherby is also hopeful that Harrogate Town's search for a new training ground will have a happy ending.

The team often cancel training for fear of damaging their Wetherby Road surface for match days, but Mr Fotherby revealed that Harrogate Borough Council are seeking a solution.

"The council are bending over backwards to help us with our training facilities," he added.

Council leader Mike Gardner said: "Harrogate College is swapping hands from Leeds Met to Hull College later this summer.