Doubts have been cast over the future of Livingston Football Club (LFC) and Farsley Celtic Football Club (FCFC) as ongoing financial concerns continue to affect football clubs across the UK.
FCFC, the Leeds-based non-league club, has entered administration in a bid to secure more time against a winding-up order brought against them by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), while LFC of Scottish Division One is facing legal action from West Lothian Council over rent arrears.
The collapse of the Irish sports broadcaster, Setanta, has exacerbated concerns over the long-term future of some Scottish Premier League clubs, while some Blue Square Premier clubs are also expected to suffer as a result of a reduction in revenue.
However, the problems have not been confined to the lower and Scottish leagues, with the recent news that a consortium led by former Southampton Football Club (SFC) player, Matt Le Tissier, had pulled out of a bid to save the Hampshire club.
Meanwhile, South Coast rivals Portsmouth Football Club (PFC) - currently competing in the Premier League - remains the focus of a takeover bid by businessman Sulaiman Al Fahim after owner Alexandre Gaydamak declared his intention to sell the club due to increased business commitments.
Stockport County Football Club (League One), AFC Bournemouth and Darlington Football Club (both League Two) have all recently been acquired by new owners after encountering financial difficulties, as has Chester City of the Blue Square Premier.
Adam Murry, who led the consortium which completed its takeover of AFC Bournemouth in June, said: "There are many challenges that lie ahead, challenges we are ready for to take this club forward and the hard work starts now. It will not be easy. This club has had a traumatic couple of years and it is our task to put it back on an even keel."
The futures of Hyde Football Club, Merthyr Tydfil Football Club, AFC Hornchurch, Northwich Victoria Football Club and Weymouth Football Club have all been thrown into doubt at non-league level in recent months, as well as Stranraer Football Club, which was recently relegated to Scottish Division Three. Further more, Margate Football Club has been given just 12 weeks to settle its remaining unpaid tax bills.
For FCFC, the future is a lot less secure than most. Having recently appointed Mazars LLP in a bid to prevent the club being wound-up at the High Court, it has recently been informed that it is to be barred from competing in the Blue Square North due to breaching financial guidelines. The Yorkshire club now finds itself facing the prospect of having no league in which to compete.
Club spokesperson Phillip Morris said: "If the Football Association uphold the Conference's decision, with the fixtures arranged for the next season throughout the non league pyramid, Farsley Celtic basically will have no league in which to play."
There appears to be no let up in the financial constraints affecting football clubs, especially those clubs previously tied to television deals with Setanta. Stevenage Borough chair Phil Wallace revealed that the loss to Blue Square Premier clubs during the 2009-10 season could be worth more than £100,000.
He said: "The news makes it virtually certain that we've lost this income - I've seen talk of £70,000 per club but it would have been over £100,000 as the Setanta contract had annual uplifts built in. So that's gone and anyone that thinks that's not a problem must be barking mad."
