THE treasurer of a junior football club has been warned to prepare for jail after she admitted plundering its accounts of £15,000.

Officials at Westwood Juniors said Jemma Blackburn's criminal actions had left the Bradford-based club "rock bottom" with only £470 to its name.

Blackburn, 35, of Ascot Parade, Horton Bank, abused her position at the club by treating its money as her own over a period between April 2012 and March last year, Bradford Crown Court was told yesterday.

She pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud when she made her first appearance before Judge Colin Burn.

Judge Burn agreed to a request that Blackburn’s sentence hearing should be adjourned until Monday, April 24, after being told the case involved a sum totalling £15,000.

He told her that she had to return to the crown court for her sentence hearing next month and it was in her interests to make sure that all the reports were ready.

“I can’t promise what form of sentence you will receive on April 24,” he told Blackburn.

“Obviously custody is something the court is going to have to consider in one way or another and you should be prepared for that when you come here on that day.”

Blackburn had her conditional bail extended by the judge, but she must not engage in any activities in relation to the football club.

Blackburn's barrister Nigel Jamieson had earlier told the court that his client was a mother with no previous convictions.

He said the defence was already obtaining medical reports to assist the court and it seemed to be a case involving a submission that a custodial sentence could be suspended.

A group of officials from Westwood Juniors attended yesterday's hearing, and waited outside court for Blackburn to emerge, before she was quickly ushered away by a male companion.

They said Blackburn's actions had had a shattering impact on a club which counts many children from disadvantaged families among its players.

Speaking outside the court, Chris Wilkinson, the club's child welfare officer, said: “I think it’s the right verdict, but this should have been done a long time ago.

“This shouldn’t have gone on for 14 months, but when we come back on April 24, let’s hope it’s the right sentencing as well.

“This has taken the club to rock bottom, it left the club with £470 in the bank.

“The club nearly collapsed, but between us we have all banded together and managed to get it back up and running as a club.

“We have been rebuilding for the last 14 months so it’s all onwards and upwards from now on.

“We have been doing a lot of fundraising and the club is going forwards and will continue to go forwards.”

Another club member, who did not want to be named, said: “A lot of the children at the club come from disadvantaged backgrounds with not much money, and they scratch around every week to pay their subs and she has basically taken it all.

“It has affected the club’s players and our facilities.”

The club has more than 130 children aged from under sevens to under 16s who play in the Garforth and Craven leagues.

The majority of the teams train and play at Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College, and some games are also played at Home Farm School in Westwood Park, Hollingwood School in Horton Bank, and Shibden Head School in Queensbury.