BRADFORD Park Avenue owner Gareth Roberts believes the introduction of a salary cap would encourage clubs to stop spending beyond their means.

Bury became the first team to be expelled from the Football League since 1992, while Bolton were close to liquidation before a takeover was confirmed on Wednesday.

Roberts accepts that there is "a massive gap between income and expenses that exists at all levels" which is escalating as clubs go searching for success.

In a statement, the Park Avenue chief - who admits he is funding an estimated £5,000 loss per week at his club - expressed his thoughts on how football can be made more sustainable.

It read: "This week saw the demise of Bury FC, a club founded in 1885. There will be many questions about how this happened and why it was allowed to happen.

"Simply put, the club couldn't meet its obligations and was living beyond its means. This seems to be becoming too commonplace these days with clubs at all levels.

"The costs of being competitive and hopes of winning are expanding as we have witnessed here at Horsfall.

"There is a massive gap between income and expenses that exists at all levels and seems to be quickly escalating as clubs continue to 'have a go' at winning the league. This is being fuelled by the quickly expanding costs of playing budgets.

"In Park Avenue's case, sales continue to be flat (and down this season). When the expenses exceed the income, that has to be funded by someone. Here, I fund that (an estimated £5,000 each week out of my pocket).

"Sometimes, clubs get loans on assets they have and when they can't make those payments, they go bust unless someone else assumes those debts.

"Common sense says, that's not a business and not in the best interest of the fans.

"Let's face it, the financial gap between the non-league and league is massive. Further, the league funding gap continues to grow at this level.

"So, how do you solve this? We support salary caps. Let's hold clubs accountable to being a sustainable business and return to proper management and selection on the pitch (instead of buying a title).

"If a club chooses to exceed the cap, then they should be taxed on anything above it. This means that they can still go above budget, but taxed on the excess, which goes back to league funding.

"The massive success of the Premier League and the massive media deals have taken away a lot of local fans, who can now watch almost any match at home.

"This has had a significant impact on all local clubs and while the Premier League does help with funding, it does not have a

substantial impact on the clubs. Keep in mind the out of pocket that I mentioned is net of all sales and donations.

"There are additional challenges that we have found within the playing budgets. As an example, a part-time club like Park Avenue can be stuck with someone who cannot and sometimes is unwilling to play.

"You could imagine the challenge to management (attempting to be competitive within a budget) and the financial impact this has.

"The challenge that I face is continuing to fund an unsustainable business and giving fans what they want, a competitive football club. I have spoken at length about the plans that we have, but it's time that we collectively tackle the how and why and take action."