D-day for Airdrie cup tie

Ian Wilson believes Airdrie can play without Archibald

Airdrieonians' Scottish Cup tie against Peterhead is under threat unless Steve Archibald contacts the First Division club's provisional liquidators within the next few hours.

Archibald claims that the tie can go ahead without him.

But KPMG say that, if the former Scotland international has pulled out of the deal to buy the club, he takes the players with him.

A special Scottish Football Assocation meeting is likely to convene on Friday in an attempt to resolve the matter.

No infrastructure

The club faced a similar dilemma when it first faced financial ruin last season.

But KPMG's Blair Nimmo explained: "At that time, the club had its own playing staff, its own coaching staff and its own managerial staff.

"But to a large extent these were handed over to Steve Archibald last July when he was given preferred bidder status.

"If Steve Archibald is not around then we do not have the infrastucture to facilitate a team on Saturday.

Go ahead

"We have not heard from him, but if he has pulled out of the deal to buy the club, he would take these people with him."

The football club still remains if Steve has walked away and that doesn't mean to say there won't be a game

  Ian Wilson

Nimmo hoped to hear from Archibald by the end of Friday so a solution could be found.

But Archibald says he has no intention of contacting the provisional liquidators as they terminated his contract and he therefore now has no involvement with the club.

He said: "Technically, the game can still go ahead.

"It does not need me. Maybe somebody from KPMG can stand in the dugout."

Nimmo says that 12 players are out of contract on Friday, but Archibald insists: "There is 20-odd players that can play the game.

Meeting convened

"They are all registered and there is a coaching staff that can take the game forward.

"It is up to KPMG to convince them to do it."

The SFA are likely to convene a meeting of their emergency committee to examine the ongoing crisis.

SFA Chief Executive David Taylor told BBC Scotland they would consider imposing a deadline of Friday afternoon on the club's liquidators to inform them of whether Airdrie can fulfil the tie.

Affects everybody

Peterhead are likely to delay their departure for Airdrie until Saturday morning.

David Taylor is poised to step in

Manager Ian Wilson admits that the unrest also affected his side's preparations.

"We were thinking of going down on Friday, but we will probably leave it until Saturday now," he said.

"It affects everybody, but we will try to concentrate as though the game is going ahead.

"As far we are concerned, we have to keep our concentration on the game.

"We cannot do anything else.

"It is a little bit unsettling, but we have to be as focused as we can.

"The football club still remains if Steve has walked away and that doesn't mean to say there won't be a game."

Airdrie supporters groups also hope to become involved in brokering a compromise between Archibald and KPMG.