Football’s financial crisis continued this week when National League side Macclesfield Town were wound up. The club had unpaid debts amounting to over £500,000.

A judge in the high court told Amar Alkadhi he had little faith that the club’s owner was able to pay off creditors.

Problems mount for Macclesfield

It is a month since Macclesfield lost their Football League status after losing an appeal against a points deduction. Judge Sebastian Prentis granted a winding up order after the club owed £190,000 in tax.

The court also heard that both John Askey and Sol Campbell two former managers were both owed £173,000.

The National League were holding a crisis meeting on Wednesday to discuss Macclesfield’s fate. The club are scheduled to kick off their National League campaign at home to Bromley on October 3rd

Turbulent 12 months for club

It is understood that Jon Smart of the Silkmen Supporters Trust has held talks with Mike Rance and Andy Scott.

It has been a turbulent 12 months for the club with players going on strike in November over unpaid wages. The club were deducted points on no less than three times over failing to fulfil fixtures.

Alkahdi stepped down as chairman last month, but clearly the club has been run in a dreadful way for a long time.  

North West region of England hit by crisis clubs

Macclesfield are one of a number of clubs who have been in crisis recently.

Blackpool were put into receivership by the High Court in February 2019. Bolton Wanderers went into administration in May 2019 and were relegated to League Two last season with a 12-point deduction.

Wigan Athletic who were relegated to League One last month after losing an appeal against a 12-point deduction.  Bury were expelled from the Football League in August 2019 after a takeover bid collapsed.

Are the right owners buying football clubs?

Stockport County were placed in administration in April 2009 and two years later were relegated from the Football League.  Oldham Athletic only just avoided going into administration in June after settling debts with two former owners.

All these seven situations amount to the same issues, owners of their clubs have let the club go downhill. They have all gone into the club and promised to spend, spend, spend.

They have lifted everybody’s hopes with the promise of making the club successful by investing money. After a while we can all see that the so-called money promised was fiction.

With the current economic situation with money in football it won’t be just Macclesfield folding, it will be others to.