Notts County's woes could get even worse ahead of High Court hearing

Relegated cash-strapped Notts County’s woes could get even worse at the High Court on Wednesday.

The Football League’s oldest club are preparing for life in Non-League for the first time.

The Magpies, formed in 1862, crashed out of League Two a month ago.

They are now in the dock after being issued with a winding up order over an unpaid £250,000 tax bill in February.

Notts’ case was originally heard in April but was adjourned to help embattled owner Alan Hardy sell up.

Hardy is set to ask the court on Wednesday for a two-week extension in the hope of finalising a last-gasp takeover.

But neither of the interested groups – a London property company led by Alex May and a South African consortium fronted by Terry Pritchard of Charter HCP – are very close to completing.

And HMRC, owed around £800,000 in total by County, could potentially force the club into administration or liquidation.

That would see County hit with a 12-point deduction for the forthcoming National League season.

Concerned National League officials last week held a meeting about the crisis ahead of their AGM on Saturday.

They are likely to ask County for a bond payment to ensure the club’s financial obligations are met for the season ahead.

In the meantime, County have sold more than 1,500 season tickets and have kept on £200,000-a-year boss Neal Ardley after neither the club nor the manager took advantage of an end-of-season release clause with no compensation.

Hardy has been looking to sell up at Meadow Lane since his Paragon Leisure Group went into administration earlier this year.