Northampton Town footballers not paid

Manager Chris Wilder has paid tribute to the attitude of players and staff at Northampton Town

Players and staff at Northampton Town Football Club have not been paid due to its financial problems, it has confirmed.

Manager Chris Wilder has paid tribute to the attitude of people who work at the club, saying it has brought them all "much closer together".

A winding-up petition has been sought by HM Revenue & Customs, which is owed £166,000 by the club.

The League Two club owes Northampton Borough Council more than £10m.

Part of the loan was to build a new East Stand at the Sixfields stadium

Earlier this week, club chief executive James Whiting said he expected salaries to be paid eventually - but not by Friday, after the club's bank account was frozen.

Chairman David Cardoza plans to sell the club to ex-Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas.

The club, nicknamed the Cobblers, go to Newport County on Saturday afternoon, and are up to fourth in the League Two table despite the off-pitch difficulties.

Mr Thomas is the owner of US-based radio station, Shaq-Fu. He took over at Oxford United in 2008, with the U's lying 19th in the Blue Square Premier.

In December 2008, he appointed current Cobblers boss Chris Wilder as Oxford manager.

Under his chairmanship, Oxford returned to the Football League and achieved two League Two top-half finishes.

More recently, he worked in an advisory role at Torquay United.