Caversham is months behind on a $10,000 debt to FootballSouth and risks expulsion from the league if it can not pay up.
By recent Otago sports standards, it is not a massive figure - the Otago Rugby Football Union was in the hole to the tune of $2 million before it was rescued by the community - but for an amateur football club, it is an extremely vexing situation.
Fleming, a life member, part of the club's first family and its coach during a golden era, said he only learned of the debt just before Christmas.
He was not interested in a witch hunt but expected there to be an animated discussion at the Caversham annual meeting on February 15 as the club reviewed the situation and, hopefully, finalised a rescue plan.
''It's come as a surprise to a lot of people involved with the club,'' Fleming said.
''We've got two options. Either we fold the club, which nobody wants, or we work out a plan to clear this debt.
''Players are as keen as they've ever been, and they have no control over the finances of the club.
''We're going to have to work really hard but we can do it. I'm pretty positive. If we don't find a solution, there will be no Caversham.''
Fleming said there was a chance Caversham would field teams only in the top two grades of the FootballSouth competition this season.
''Streamlining'' would save money, though the obvious drawback was it would lead to younger players having to join other clubs.
Ironically, success had almost certainly contributed to the financial problem, Fleming said.
''The Chatham Cup has been a double-edged sword for us. We've been in quarterfinals or semifinals, eight of the last 10 years, and trips to the North Island have been a huge cost for us.
''On top of that, grants are getting harder to get. There's only so much money to go around, and all clubs find it tough.''
Caversham had no other major creditors, as far as Fleming was aware.
FootballSouth general manager Bill Chisholm said Caversham's debt to the organisation was a combination of fees owed to FootballSouth and those collected on behalf of New Zealand Football.
He said the club had been guilty of ''a distinct lack of communication last year'' but seemed to be on the right track now.
FootballSouth wanted a resolution by the end of February or the almost-unthinkable prospect of Caversham teams being ejected from various leagues could become a reality.
''Worse comes to worst, they could be excluded from competitions, both juniors and seniors,'' Chisholm said.
''It's obviously the worst-case scenario, and I think the board would be reluctant to do that. That's why we're trying to help as much as we can.
''But we can't have all clubs going through this. If you let one club away with it, others will follow. The debt has to be paid off.''
Chisholm said FootballSouth acknowledged it was difficult for some clubs to pay their bills from year to year. Other cases had arisen over the years but Caversham's plight was ''reasonably serious''.
He hoped one positive to come out of the issue could be a focus on how clubs could avoid sinking into similar trouble.
