Wrexham face Winding Up Order - 15/11/2004

Wrexham face a winding up order over a £900,000 tax debt in the High Court on Wednesday. It is more likely that the club will face a period of voluntary administration with the accompanying deduction of ten points. There are concerns that the Inland Revenue would like to make an example of a club after a series of cases in which it has had to settle for a small percentage of the amount outstanding. The situation at Wrexham is really the culmination of years of mismanagement, exacerbated by the former chairman, Altrincham-based property developer Alex Hamilton. A final offer of £1.75m to buy his 78 per cent stake in the club was rejected. Notionally, an offer from a business associate of Hamilton's until the pair fell out, former Chester City chairman Mark Guterman, is on the table, but unlikely to succeed. Meanwhile, manager Denis Smith is without the authority to cash cheques or receive credit card payments and has had to pay players in cash out of gate money. Washing machines and tumble dryers have started to be repossessed. Unlike, say, small clubs in the Greater Manchester area, Wrexham is more of a 'stand alone' club that should have a viable future (as well as a lively football past), although no doubt there are supporters in the area who head to matches on Merseyside or in Manchester.