Hunter in for Airdrie

Airdrie fans are thought to be behind Steve Archibald

Former Livingston chairman Bill Hunter has admitted he is interested in taking over at owner-less Airdrie.

Hunter, who transformed lowly Meadowbank Thistle into First Division champions elect Livingston, plans to open talks with major creditor Bill Barr and North Lanarkshire Council.

After selling his major shareholding in the West Lothian club, Hunter was also involved at both East Fife and Morton and is keen to return to Scottish football.

"There are a lot of hurdles that have still to be overcome," he admitted.

There have to be carrots to sweeten various people if this is to get off the ground

  Bill Hunter

"Bill Barr is the major creditor in all of this so I have to get his sanction before anything is a goer," Hunter told the Daily Record.

"I still have to speak to North Lanarkshire Council as they are major players too and if I cannot sweeten both of them I am wasting my time.

"There is various work to be carried out on land surrounding New Broomfield and that has been the stumbling block for Steve Archibald.

"No disrespect to Steve but he has obviously run into difficulties. There are a lot of complications involved in this deal.

No contact

"Bill Barr is due something like £500,000 and his company were due to carry out the repair work, so that explains his involvement, which is more on the contractual side.

"There have to be carrots to sweeten various people if this is to get off the ground.

"I am using all my expertise and building knowledge and my contacts in other areas that I acquired over the years.

"There are five or six other people involved with me but I would really want to speak to representatives of Diamonds Direct Action as well."

Diamonds Direct Action, the Airdrie fans' group, are understood to backing Archibald's bid to save the club.

Blair Nimmo of KPMG, Airdrie's provisional liquidators, said Hunter had not been in touch with him but urged him to do so if he had a solution to the club's problems.

Nimmo is anxious to hear from potential buyers

"We would be very interested in hearing from Mr Hunter or anyone else," said Nimmo.

"We got last night's (Tuesday) game postponed and we don't have a game this weekend so the next match we would be required to put a team on the park for would be a week on Saturday.

"We do not know if that is a deadline or not, but we are working to a point that, if we cannot do something by then, it may be difficult.

"We have been working hard for the last couple of weeks and we are continuing to encourage people to come forward.

"Obviously we cannot force people to make bids, but we are conscious that, by the end of next week, the Football League will expect us to put a team on the park.

"We don't know what the reaction will be if we don't, but we do fear what the reaction could be."