Airdrie closest yet to closure

Blair Nimmo says time is running out for Airdrie

Airdrieonians are closer to closure now than they were before Steve Archibald became involved, the club's provisional liquidators have claimed.

And Ayr United chairman Bill Barr has refuted claims that he had obstructed the sale of the club to the former Scotland internationalist.

Archibald said on Thursday that his bid to buy the club was now dead as a result of having his management contract terminated by provisional liquidators KPMG.

The former Scotland striker had found himself locked out of the ground the previous day.

Lack of progress

KPMG's Blair Nimmo told BBC Scotland: "Over the last few weeks we were concerned about not receiving payments from him.

Steve Archibald has packed his bags

"We have had various communications with him during which it was clear that he had financial problems.

"We got to the point where we could not continue to incur an expense that we could not meet, which is why we took yesterday's action.

"Having said that, we were also concerned about the lack of progress on the deal and proposals he was going to put to the creditors.

"We wrote to him last week but have not had a response."

Future is bleak

Nimmo says that he had only heard through the media that Archibald has "walked away from the club" and had withdrawn his offer for the club.

With no other offer on the table, Nimmo concluded: "The future is bleak.

"This is the closest that the club has come to ceasing trading.

"We have been here 12 months now and we desperately want to see Airdrie Football Club survive.

Made concessions

"We want to see it play on the park and we wanted to do the Steve Archibald deal.

Barr Holdings will continue to do all it can to assist Airdrie Football Club

  Bill Barr

"We have made concessions on a number of occasions.

"But the club has to pay its staff, its players, its groundsman, its administration people.

"It has to pay its electricity, its telephone, etc.

"These were the costs we were asking Steve Archibald to meet and which he has failed to do over the last four weeks.

Totally professional

"Over the last 30 weeks, 19 of the 30 payments have either been late or have not turned up at all and that situation could not continue.

Bill Barr says a deal was there for Archibald

Nimmo claims to have had no talks with any other interested party since Archibald became the preferred bidder.

He also says that he has no knowledge of any interest from Barr but acknowledges that no buyers would now have to be encouraged.

Barr was recently the subject of protests from Airdrie fans who blame him for the delay in finalising a deal.

His company built Airdrie's new stadium, is a major creditor and Archibald claims that Barr wanted to share the ground while Ayr were waiting to built one of their own.

But a statement from Barr on Thursday said: "The board of Barr Holdings Ltd has acted in a totally professional manner and has tried to help Airdrie Football Club and Steve Archibald all the way through the takeover negotiations.

"Steve Archibald signed legal heads of terms last June so a deal was there to be done.

"Barr Holdings will continue to do all it can to assist Airdrie Football Club in this matter."