8 Feb 2010Portsmouth hoping for more time as court date looms

Football Clubs News | Football Finance News

Portsmouth are hoping to be granted a stay of execution when they face a winding-up order over unpaid tax on Wednesday (February 10th), according to chief executive Peter Storrie.

HM Revenue & Customs issued the winding-up petition at the end of 2009 and the troubled English Premier League club failed to have it overturned by a High Court judge during a hearing last month.

Storrie said that Portsmouth's best hope is to be given more time to settle the tax bill, which is estimated at £7 million.

"Our objective is to seek from the courts a stay of the winding-up order. We need time for a new buyer to come in and then we will be in a position to pay the Revenue," he said.

Meanwhile, the club's executive director Mark Jacob told BBC Radio Five Live that "two or three groups" have made initial inquiries about buying the club since Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai took control at Fratton Park last week.

Written by Terry Mitchell

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