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BREAKING NEWS: Boro wound up after 128 years of football
SCARBOROUGH Football Club have folded after a judge ordered its parent company to be wound up.
District Judge Stephen Greenwood said at Leeds High Court he could not see a way for the 128-year-old club to be saved and clear its debts of around 2.5m.
The decision comes despite moves by Boro chairman Ian Scobbie to hammer out a deal to clear the debts by selling the McCain Stadium for development and moving to a new ground.
Judge Greenwood last granted the club a seven day adjournment in the winding proceedings to secure the deal, but said today he could not give the club any more time.
He said: "On every occasion, hopes have been raised and rescue plans have been put in place. These rescue attempts have failed.
"The time has come, regrettably for the football club, for me to make a decision.
"The various rescue attempts have failed and I wind Scarborough Football Club up."
Mr Scobbie suggested Boro could continue if the judge allowed to enter a new company voluntary arrangement.
Judge Greenwood said it would be the fourth CVA given to the club since 2000. "There is nothing in my view to suggest that a fourth CVA would be approved, or even successful.
Corporate rescue firm Begbies Traynor, which applied to for the club to be wound up has now been appointed the official liquidator.
A statement released by the firm after the hearing, said: "While it is sad to see the demise of a club with a proud history of 128 years, the club's finances have for a number of years been in a very poor state and the company has been in and out of various insolvency proceedings.
"Recently the club has been trying to sell the McCain Stadium for development to fund a move to an out of town purpose built stadium. However, this move has been fraught with difficulties."
The club was relegated to the Unibond League at the end of the season, Manager Mark Patterson then left by mutual consent and only two players remain on Boro's books.
The winding-up order means a new club will have to be started from scratch for the town to have its own team playing competitive football next season.
Two applications have been made for a newly formed Scarborough football team to play next season in the Northern Counties East League, three divisions lower than the Unibond.
One is for "Scarborough Athletic", which has been formed by the supporter-led Seadogs Trust. The other is for "AFC Scarborough", which has been set up by Mr Scobbie.
League bosses have said they will only accept one application from a Scarborough club - and if both apply, neither will be given a place.
The two clubs have until Sunday to provide a united application and are meeting to discuss the issue tomorrow.
See tomorrow's Scarborough Evening News for further reports and reaction to the club's demise.
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Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
