Chairman Lee Carter today moved to re-assure AFC Telford United fans as Setanta lurched closer to administration, insisting: “It won’t hurt us.”

The three Conference leagues – the Blue Square Premier, North and South – are two years into a five-year deal worth £2.5m with the troubled Irish broadcaster.

Clubs in the Premier have been benefiting to the tune of around £85,000 a season, while Telford and other clubs in the two regional divisions have received £15,000.

Setanta have already failed to pay £3m it owes the Scottish Premier League and is believed to be losing around £100m a year.

That has led to fears that non-League clubs could go to the wall if it now reneges on its Conference contract.

Carter admits the crisis could have deep-reaching effects for the game, but believes the Bucks are well-placed to ride out the storm.

“We will be okay whatever happens,” the Telford chairman declared.

“You’re talking about £15,000 and I think most clubs at north and South level will be able to withstand that, even if they did include the money in their budget.

“We’ve had a question mark over this money ever since it became clear Setanta might have problems, hence why we were very cautious a couple of weeks ago when we were talking about budgets.”

Carter admits it might have been a different story had the Bucks won promotion to the Blue Square Premier, however.

“I do fear for the premier division (if Setanta go bust),” he added.

“You’re talking about £85,000 for every club and if I was standing here saying we wouldn’t have included any of that money in our budget I’d be lying.

“We’d have probably signed players on the back of that money by now, so it would have been a worrying time.”

By CHRIS HUDSON