Crystal Palace face going out of business today.

Tue 1st Jun 2010 | Football Club Administration

Crystal Palace face going out of business unless a deal to buy the club can be completed by 3pm this afternoon.

In a statement on the club’s website read; We have now reached agreement with Agilo regarding their debt against the club and did have what we thought was an agreement with Bank of Scotland who are the major creditor of Selhurst Park Ltd. Subsequent to this agreement we have been sent a contract that does not reflect this agreement and is unworkable.

A statement from CPFC 2010 read: "As you are aware we are endeavoring to acquire both Crystal Palace Football club and Selhurst Park. Everyone would agree Selhurst Park is pivotal to the long-term future of the club and CPFC2010 have always made it clear that they will not proceed without securing it.

"We have now reached agreement with Agilo regarding their debt against the club and did have what we thought was an agreement with Bank of Scotland who are the major creditor of Selhurst Park Ltd. Subsequent to this agreement we have been sent a contract that does not reflect this agreement and is unworkable.

"CPFC 2010 value Selhurst park as a football ground but have agreed to pay a significant premium on that. We also recognize that a property developer may pay even more for the ground on the chance that they may be able to change its use sometime in the future. The bank have made it clear that they want to help the club and don’t want to sell to a property developer now but are worried we may sell the land for development in the future, making a profit and embarrassing the bank in the process.

"In order to put their minds at rest we have also agreed to an ‘anti embarrassment’ clause that allows the Bank to see a further return if we realize greater value from the ground in the future. In essence we need clarity on what that amount should be and how it is calculated.

"At the moment it seems the Bank want to make unlimited return in the future even if that value is created on the back of the success of the football club or money we have invested in a new infrastructure and not in appreciation of the value of the land. We believe that the maximum they should make is the difference between what we will pay for the land as a football ground and what a property developer will pay now as a development opportunity plus interest.

"We are dealing totally through intermediaries and its very frustrating, as we don’t think the bank competently understand the situation we are in, or the urgency.

"If we cannot reach agreement soon (we have a deadline of 3pm 1st June) Agilo have made their intention clear to sell the players and liquidate the club.

"Please be assured we are doing everything we can to make this happen but as we sit today the future of Crystal palace hangs in the balance and is very much in the hands of a person in a bank in Scotland whom we have never met and it seems we are not allowed to speak to.

"We note the new governments commitment to sport, particularly sport in the community, Bank of Scotland is currently government owned, as such we would urge the new Prime Minister to intervene personally to resolve the situation or see a club supported by many thousands with 100 year History consigned to the scrapheap."

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