DESPITE being sold to a Danish-based consortium over the weekend, Chester City still have to find around £200,000 this week if they are to convince the Football Conference authorities that they can stay in business.
The management committee of the Conference have recommended that City should be kicked out of the Blue Square Premier Division after they pleaded guilty to five separate charges of violating league rules.
A meeting of Conference clubs will be held at Rushden and Diamonds’ Nene Park stadium on Friday, when the management members will seek the club’s approval of their expulsion decision.
In order to ratify the proposal, three quarters of all member clubs will need to vote with their management team.
It is understood that City’s existing owners have been told to pay certain outstanding football debts and monies due to HM Revenue and Customs this week. If these obligations are met, the indications are that the Conference may well look more favourably.
A spokesman for the Conference said last night: “My understanding is that if a large proportion of the outstanding debts are settled, then it would certainly be to Chester’s advantage.”
Part of the agreement made by City’s prospective purchasers Chester Projekt.dk with current owners the Vaughan family, is that the club must not drop any lower than Conference North next season – if it does the deal would become null and void. This caveat was confirmed by the spokesman of the Danish consortium Palle Rasmussen when he spoke to the Daily Post on Sunday.
The Danish group were introduced to Chester’s current owners by former Liverpool and England central defender Mark Wright, who has also served as City manager on three occasions.
Wright, who now runs a sports PR company, has been assisted during the negotiating process by his former Liverpool colleague Jan Molby.
There was speculation last night that Molby, who is a former Denmark international midfielder and now works for Danish television, would join the coaching set-up at the Deva Stadium, if the deal to purchase City by his countrymen was concluded successfully.
Rasmussen stated over the weekend that in his opinion it would take between seven to 21 days to complete the legal formalities and conclude the purchase of Chester City.
