10.03.2010
Chester City wound up over unpaid taxes
Chester City was wound up by a British court on Thursday over a 26,000-pound unpaid tax bill - but a group of die-hard fans vowed to resurrect the 125-year-old football club.
The club, based in northwest England, owed a total of 26,125 pounds (39,000 dollars, 28,700 euros) to the British tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs.
Chester failed to field a team for their last two fixtures in the Blue Square Premier, English football's fifth-tier, and last month were booted out of the league.
Notable former players include Liverpool legend Ian Rush, ex-Arsenal defender Lee Dixon and one-time England striker Cyrille Regis.
The club had been put up for sale for just one pound but no bidder ever materialised despite intense media speculation of a last-ditch takeover.
But a supporters group calling themselves City Fans United promised Chester would return under different management.
Spokesman David Evans said: "125 years of history have been extinguished today but that's just the body of the club - its soul lives on.
"Today is the day to say to everybody that our club will be run in a professional way and be a credit to our city and to football."
A reincarnation of Chester City would be the latest in a line of so-called 'phoenix' clubs formed by disgruntled supporters.
Fans of Wimbledon FC formed a breakaway club when new owners relocated the team to Milton Keynes, while Manchester United supporters opposed to the takeover by US tycoon Malcom Glazer created FC United of Manchester in 2005.
Source: © 2010 AFP - Alfredo Estrella
|
England / England .jpg)
