7:58pm Monday 29th June 2009
By Ian Whiting
The atmosphere at Throstle Nest remains very tense as Farsley Celtic look to go into administration before facing a winding-up order on Wednesday.
The Inland Revenue applied for the order against Farsley because of unpaid taxes and the court date is in two days' time.
The Farsley board, led by John Palmer, have appointed an insolvency practitioner to get the club into administration, which will allow them to continue to operate as a business while paying off any outstanding debt.
Celts spokesman Paul Grayson said tonight: "There have been no developments since we issued a statement on Friday.
"The insolvency guy is working towards putting the club into administration, and that remains the best option for the club.
"We remain optimistic that we can get an adjournment. We have to present the judge with enough proof that we can make payment in time and that the club continuing as a business is the only way of doing that."
Palmer and his fellow directors are doing what they can to ensure the club survives.
It is not just a football club, it is a community undertaking as they believe the demise of the club would have far-reaching effects.
Grayson added: "It would not be as simple as Farsley Celtic disappearing from the Blue Square North fixture list.
"If the ground and the sports hall were padlocked, it would directly affect a vast number of people in Leeds and Bradford.
"Leeds Metropolitan Carnegie, Leeds Ladies, Park Lane College, Farsley Celtic Juniors and the local people in general would all lose out.
"The junior section would not be affected in a financial way because it is run as a club it its own right, but all their facilities would be gone.
"Mark Jackson who is also a player-coach with the first team, runs the under-19s alongside Park Lane as part of a scholarship.
"I hope all these things will be taken into consideration by the judge that presides over the case on Wednesday and all other parties involved."
If the club are in a structured administration before they enter the court, they will be more likely to survive.
However, there are other options for the outcome to be resolved without winding up the club.
Should the administration be in place, the Celts will begin next season with the mandatory ten-point penalty.
Grayson concluded: "Neil Parsley (first-team manager) has done a tremendous job and worked his socks off. He has been very busy recruiting new players under difficult circumstances and the last thing he deserves is for us to be looking at a ten-point deduction, but at least the football club will survive.
"We have to work on the basis that we are continuing - you can’t just walk away and go home."
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