Three-and-a-half years ago, Roman Abramovich's Chelsea were rolling into Scarborough and suddenly the outlook for the town's financially-stricken football club looked rather different.

Conservative estimates put the total income from Scarborough's FA Cup fourth-round tie at around £500,000. It was a windfall which, according to then chairman Malcolm Reynolds, ''arguably sets us up for years to come''.

Things did not quite work out how Reynolds had hoped. The Chelsea money simply staved off the inevitable. On June 20 this year, saddled with debts of £2.5m, the 128-year-old club was liquidated at Leeds High Court.

But proud tradition, with four FA Trophy final appearances at Wembley and the honour of becoming the first club automatically promoted to the League in 1987, dictated that was unlikely to be the end of the story.

The Teversal Grange Sports and Social Centre may be some distance down football's food chain from Stamford Bridge, but today it is the place where the future of Scarborough Athletic Football Club begins.

Formed out of the wreckage of the old club, Athletic is owned and run by the Seadog Trust, a supporters' body which has already attracted 500 members.

Every one of those members has an equal say as a co-owner. In recognition of their unexpected portion of power, a sizeable number of those fans plan to wear suits to their first match.

Simon Cope, Athletic's chairman, has plenty of personal experience of the more glamorous side of football. As a control systems programmer, he often installs six-figure cinema and lighting systems into the homes of some of the game's biggest names. But the 32-year-old is not easily seduced.

''In its own way, Saturday's match against Teversal is just as exciting as the Chelsea game,'' said Cope. ''It is about leaving all the troubles of the old club behind us and making a fresh start.

''For years we've had to live with a vicious circle of uncertainty and debt. Suddenly not having that hanging over us is refreshing. Nobody wanted the old club to die, but now it is it about looking to the future.''

The club's formation has not been without its teething problems. The McCain Stadium remains in the hands of the liquidators while Scarborough Council decide whether to press ahead with their first option on its purchase.

Athletic hope to return soon to their spiritual home. In the meantime they will kick off their Northern Counties East League Division One campaign 20 miles down the coast at Bridlington Town's Queensgate ground.

And Cope is finding that being thrust into the role of chairman is not without its dilemmas.

''I felt so guilty in our friendly match at Northallerton,'' he admitted. ''We had a little roped-off area with free tea and a fruit scone each. The rest of the fans had to stay outside with nothing.

''You have duties in terms of entertaining the other club's officials but I would rather stay on the terraces.''