HOPES that the Crusaders rugby league club’s appearance in London’s High Court yesterday would just be a legal formality proved to be unfounded.

A winding-up petition brought against the Wrexham-based club was adjourned for seven days amid confusion over whether it had paid its debt to HM Revenue and Customs.

Representing HMRC, Matthew Smith, told the court there were a number of other creditors supporting the winding-up petition. Mr Smith said an administration hearing was scheduled for tomorrow.

He asked the registrar to adjourn the winding-up petition for seven days to await the outcome of that hearing.

However, a lawyer involved in tomorrow’s administration hearing said she had been told the petition debt had been paid and asked for the petition to be
dismissed.

At this stage Mr Smith told the registrar his understanding was that the payment was still due.

The registrar adjourned for seven days to clear up the confusion. The case will return to court next Wednesday.

Last week the chairman of the Crusaders, Ian Roberts, told the Leader the immediate legal threat to the future of the club appeared to have been lifted.

He had said: “Our solicitors have informed us HMRC have made an application to dismiss the winding up order which was due to be heard on November 10. They are doing this because we had already paid them the amount in question, which I believe was in the order of £60,000.

“It was an old debt which had already been paid and they had tried to allocate it to a newer debt. It was all down to confusion.

“This means there will still be a hearing on November 10 but only to dismiss the order. It will just be a legal formality.”

Mr Roberts has been unavailable for comment.