Airdrie row takes new twist

Blair Nimmo calls time on Steve Archibald's reign

The future of Airdrie Football Club is in doubt again after provisional liquidators KPMG terminated an agreement with prospective buyer Steve Archibald over unpaid fees.

Players and management arrived at their New Broomfield ground on Wednesday morning to find themselves locked out for the second time in recent months.

Blair Nimmo of KPMG said Archibald owed them £22,500 in unpaid management fees and is due to pay them a further £7,500 on Wednesday.

Archibald says he has not given up hope of taking over Airdrie but insists he will not pay the £30,000 Nimmo is demanding.

Nimmo said: "He (Archibald) clearly has cash flow problems and has done for months. That is concerning us.

We could close the club. We could cease trading at any point in time

  Blair Nimmo
provisional liquidator

"We need to have proof he is able to fund the acquisition of the club."

He also revealed that Archibald, who has yet to table an official offer, "flatly rejected" a compromise offer on Friday that would have reduced the payments and used money from the £100,000 sale of Austin McCann to Hearts.

Nimmo insisted that Archibald was no longer in charge of the club and would not be allowed into the stadium until the debts had been settled.

"We could close the club. We could cease trading at any point in time," said Nimmo.

"But it is also a football club and we are trying to recognise that. A lot of people in Airdrie care about it.

"But if these matters are not resolved then the future of the club is in serious doubt."

Cup tie doubt

Despite Nimmo's assertions to the contrary, Archibald was allowed into New Broomfield when he arrived with police.

He emerged to tell reporters that there was no cash flow problems and that any stumbling blocks to a deal were of KPMG's making.

Archibald also made thinly-veiled criticisms of Nimmo and Bill Barr, one of Airdrie's main creditors and chairman of Ayr United.

The former Tottenham and Barcelona striker insisted that he would continue to fight against the "injustice" of KPMG's decision.

He said: "To do this three days before a big cup tie is disgusting. I'm disgusted with the handling of the whole thing. I'm very surprised KPMG have allowed this to go on.

"Nobody gives a damn about Airdrie Football Club apart from us. It is Nimmo that has done this. The only time you see him is when there is a newspaper or TV."

Airdrie are due to play Peterhead in the Scottish Cup fourth round on Saturday afternoon and that might have led to a money-spinning quarter-final tie.

KPMG say that fixture is in doubt if the situation is unresolved.

The Scottish Football Association said on Thursday that as far as it was concerned, the tie would go ahead as normal.

Nimmo admitted the timing of the announcement was not ideal, but insisted there was no ideal time for such a decision.

He insisted: "They might not draw a big club and if they do that wouldn't help the cash flow.

"Would that mean we would get paid? Not necessarily. Would it mean the deal would go through? Not necessarily."