Winding up order avoided by Citizens

BANGOR City Football Club have avoided a winding up order in relation to a petition issued by the Commissioners for HM Revenue and Customs.

The hearing was scheduled for Wednesday, June 19 at the Royal Courts of Justice following a presentation by the HMRC on May 3, but it was confirmed that the debt was paid in full last week.

It has been a difficult time for the Citizens, who were relegated from the Welsh Premier League despite a second placed finish and securing European qualification, due to a failure to obtain an FAW Domestic Licence.

Debts of £80,000 were revealed by the club in January after their Nantporth Stadium was closed briefly as a result of a failure to pay a water and electric bill, shortly before Stephen Vaughan Jnr returned to the fold behind the scenes as chairman.

A host of senior squad members departed during the January transfer window, with then-boss Gary TaylorFletcher forced to play a host of Academy prospects for the remainder of the Huws Gray Alliance campaign.

Things got much worse at the end of the season with Taylor-Fletcher leaving his post and the Football Association of Wales imposing a transfer embargo that prevented them from signing professional players until December 31.

As part of the national governing body’s investigation, they were also deducted 42 points due to playing ineligible players, which would see the former top-flight champions and Welsh Cup winners demoted to the Welsh Alliance if their appeal is rejected.

Despite the transfer embargo, Vaughan Jnr is making plans for next season and appointed Max Leghissa as their director of football, in addition to signing a host of players with previous experience across the continent.

The latest additions were midfielder Emanuele Gianmaria Zaminga and goalkeeper Gabriele Brino, both aged 21, who join from Tricase and Treviso respectively.

A petition to wind up the club was also rejected last August relating to another debt.