TNS winding-up petition 'an error'

The club appeared on a winding-up list on Friday night which was due to be heard at the High Court in London today.

James Kinman for the Oswestry based club told Registrar Nicholas Briggs they were a "successful football club" who recently won the Welsh premier championship.

He said the £6,000 debt for PAYE had been paid by the club and no winding up petition had been served on them.

It was revealed the first they knew about it was when it appeared in the court lists on Friday and they had to come to London to defend it.

After talks between both sies the Revenue told the Registrar that after investigation it appeared the debt was paid before presentation of the petition and they agreed to pay the reasonable costs of the club.

After the hearing Ian Williams, Chief Operating Officer, The New Saints FC said : "Further to being informed by the local media on Friday evening that the club had been listed for a winding up order at the High Court in London today, the club confirms that there was no case and the listing was therefore dismissed by the Court due to an error by the petitioners, HMRC, who have also agreed to cover all of the club's costs. They will be publishing a statement in the London Gazette in due course.

"The club, following its Cup final win on Saturday can now focus on matters on the pitch and reassures all stakeholders that the club is in an extremely healthy financial position as it aims to retain its Welsh Premier League title."

The club was not the only star of the football world to be at the court today though. Championship side, Nottingham Forest were also in the same list as New Saints. They faced their fourth set of winding up proceedings but the tax man's claim against them was also dismissed after the registrar was told that the undisclosed debt they had owed to the tax man had now been paid in full.