The future of Hartlepool United has been plunged back into doubt after the club were issued with a winding up order.
The troubled National League outfit have been given just six weeks to pay an outstanding tax bill of £48,000 or they could go bust.
Pools , relegated from the Football League last year, have until March 21 to pay the tax man or be wound up in the High Court.
A winding-up petition for £48,000 was lodged by the HMRC on February 1 with Pools due in the High Court at 10.30am on Wednesday, March 21 to answer the case.
If cash-strapped Pools are unable to produce the money or come up with an acceptable payment schedule the order will be served.
That would put the future existence of the 110 year old club into serious imminent danger.
Pools have staggered through a two year period of financial chaos. This is the fourth winding up order issued in 18 months following the turbulent spell during the tenure of former chairman Gary Coxall and JPNG.
Last month fans launched an appeal to raise £200,000 just to meet the wages and monthly running costs in the hope that the ownership issue could be resolved.
Several potential investors have come forward but have been scared off at the due diligence stage by the size of the debts and liabilities and the boardroom crisis remains.
The club could even enter administration before the March court hearing with chairwoman Pam Duxbury keeping the club operating on a ‘day by day’ basis.
Last month Boro fans were among supporters of many clubs who rallied around to back a well publicised #SavePoolsDay.
A crowd of over 7,000 turned out for a game with Wrexham and that helped Pools bay the bills for January and generated an air of optimism.
But now Pools need to think of both the wages and running costs for February - and the looming tax bill.
There is no home game until the visit of Woking on February 17 and the prospects of another bumper crowd look slim.
The on-line Just Giving page, set up by supporter Rachel Cartwright, remains open and over £84,000 has now been raised but how the cash should be used has become a contentious issue among fans.
Current owners Sage Investments and businessman John Blackledge are owed £1.8m and there are other creditors too and there are fears that if the money is handed over it will disappear in the black hole of debt or in court costs.
Some fans’ group want to hold onto the money in case they need to buy the club at a later stage.
