Chester handed 42-day adjournment

Blue Square Premier crisis club Chester City have been handed a 42-day adjournment in their bid to avoid being wound up over an unpaid tax bill.

Chester, who owe £26,125 to HM Revenue & Customs, have been put up for sale for £1 by owner Stephen Vaughan Jr.

Following Wednesday's short hearing at the Royal Courts of Justice in London's Strand, Chester's legal representatives were told to return on 10 March.

The club remain hopeful of attracting a new buyer to clear all their debts.

Former Chester managing director Rob Gray, who still works at the club on a day-to-day basis, told BBC Sport: "We're still in there fighting.

"The court went through all the facts and figures with our legal department and have reached this conclusion. It only took 15 minutes.

"And we're still hopeful that someone can come in with the money to clear the club's debts."

There is reportedly more than one consortium of local businessmen ready to take control of the club.

But the Vaughan family have made it clear that any prospective buyer would have to take over the club's debts.

Apart from the tax bill, there are other debts to be cleared and the City players have not been paid in two months.

And Chester, now 29 points adrift at the bottom of the Blue Square Premier, still face an important date with the football authorities.

Blue Square Premier general manager Dennis Strudwick told BBC Sport: "The Football Conference, in conjunction with the Football Association, still want to reconvene a meeting with Chester City officials as soon as possible.

"We are disappointed that the planned meeting we had with them last week to discuss how we go forward from here did not take place as planned."