Saints face suspension if new buyer is not found

2:06pm Friday 11th January 2002

ST ALBANS CITY FC have until noon on Wednesday, January 16, to find a new buyer for the club or the Clarence Park outfit will be suspended from the Ryman Premier League.

Saints proposed fixture against Heybridge Swifts on Saturday has also been postponed after an internal error in the Ryman fixture procedure mistakenly approved both teams request to bring the game forward from the original date of April 13 to Saturday, January 12. The game will now go ahead on the original date provided City are still in existence.

However, more worryingly for Saints' fans is the outcome of a Ryman League committee meeting on Thursday, January 10, which could seal the fate of the City's beloved club.

Ryman League secretary, Nick Robinson confirmed the leagues decision: "The Management Committee of the Ryman League has decided that the club has until 12 noon on Wednesday to find a new buyer or we will suspend St Albans from playing in any Ryman league matches.

"A new buyer must be in place by the deadline and all the football creditors must be paid in full. I have spoken with Lee Harding (City's majority shareholder) and notified him of the committee's decision."

What the outcome means is that Harding must have sold his majority share in the club by Wednesday and the new owner must be aware of the clubs debts and make a commitment to meet those debts and satisfy the creditors.

Robinson also explained the Committees reason for postponing Saturday's proposed fixture with Heybridge.

He said: "The match should never have been brought forward and there was a problem with an internal procedure. Both teams acted accordingly with regards to setting up the fixture."

In another blow for the club, the Football Association (FA) has fined City £500 for failing to pay Unibond League side Hucknall Town compensation for striker Simon Martin who moved to Clarence Park in the summer.

An FA tribunal valued the striker at £5,000 and the Saints still have to pay the compensation fee as well as the fine.

A high court hearing earlier in the week had already placed question marks on the club's future after a judge this week set a preliminary date for a hearing to decide its future.

Mr Registrar Simmons set the date for February 20 at London's Royal Court of Justice on Tuesday, January 8, after the company controlling St Albans City FC breached its Companies Voluntary Agreement (CVA), entered into with creditors in October last year.

Mr Charles Barker, representing accountant Jeremy Berman who is supervising the arrangement, told the registrar that two directors of the company had initially agreed to pay a lump sum of £45,000 within seven days, but a certificate of non-compliance was issued after this offer was withdrawn.

Mr Barker added that although a court petition to wind up the company was issued in December, there had been "no response" from any of the directors of the company which controls the club.