Neath FC wound up at High Court

NEATH Football Club was wound up at the High Court in London today, it has been confirmed.

The court granted a “usual compulsory order” and an official receiver will now be appointed to deal with the club’s affairs.

A statement on the Neath FC website said their “priorities lie with providing as much support and assistance as we can to all the players and staff who are currently employed by the club.”

The winding-up order was put forward by Barclays Bank with the case having been adjourned earlier this month because paperwork from Barclays was deemed unsatisfactory.

The club had fought off another winding-up order brought by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs in March while today’s news comes a week after Neath RFC, which shares the same owner, escaped a similar fate at the High Court.

Neath FC was already reeling from an FAW licensing appeals committee ruling to uphold a decision to demote them from the Welsh Premier League for failing to meet criteria which would have kept them in the division.

“The collapse of the club’s main sponsor in October 2011 caused untold financial problems at the club, however, against all odds and due to the hard work and determination of everyone involved we continued until the end of the season,” said the statement.

“The recent decision by the FAW not to grant the club its domestic and UEFA licenses for next season was another huge blow to us and unfortunately one that we were unable to recover from.

“The club has been advised that an official receiver will be appointed to handle the clubs affairs. In the meantime our priorities lie with providing as much support and assistance as we can to all the players and staff who are currently employed by the club.”