Portsmouth's fight against relegation from the Premier League looks
even tougher after Britain's High Court turned down its application
to dismiss a liquidation order against it.
The court said Tuesday it will now hear the winding up
petition from the government's revenue and customs department "in
due course."
The hearing had already been scheduled for Feb. 10 and, if
that petition succeeds, the financially troubled club would become
the first topflight club to go into administration since the
Premier League was founded in 1992.
Aside from the implications for its owners and finances, that
would lead to an automatic nine-point deduction.
Portsmouth is already bottom of the Premier League with just
14 points. It is four points behind Bolton and five behind Hull,
which occupies the third relegation place.
The club is already banned by the Premier League from signing
players during the January transfer window because of the money it
owes other clubs from previous deals.
Portsmouth has written to the Premier League to threaten
legal action unless it is allowed to sign players on loan.
The club also disputes last week's decision by the governing
body to divert 7 million pounds ($11.4 million) of television
revenue payments to those clubs owed money related to player
transfers.
Portsmouth says it has paid off some of those debts.
The law firm representing the club, Neumans LLP, said in a
statement that Portsmouth could appeal against Tuesday's verdict
and that any appeal had a "real prospect of success."
The club has already lost Jamie O'Hara, who returned to
Tottenham after Portsmouth was unable to reregister the midfielder
when his loan ran out last week.
Portsmouth has also failed to pay its players on time on
three occasions this season but appealed against the winding up
order because it disputes the amount of tax the revenue and customs
department says it is owed, placing it on a lengthy list of
creditors.
