Salisbury City: Football Conference expel struggling club

Salisbury City were demoted to the Southern Premier League in 2010

Salisbury City have been expelled from the Football Conference after failing to pay outstanding debts.

The Whites had already been demoted one division to Conference South after failing to meet a payment deadline.

The club were then given until Friday to repay all football creditors and a £50,000 bond but failed to do so.

It is the second time they have been relegated for financial reasons and are the second club to drop out of the league this summer, following Hereford.

In 2010, Salisbury were given a double demotion for missing a deadline to pay creditors.

The Whites could now face a winding-up petition from Revenue & Customs over unpaid taxes, and there is an ongoing dispute over the ownership of the club.

Salisbury were in financial difficulty when they were taken over in May by supporter Mark Winter and Moroccan businessman Outail Touzar, with the pair becoming responsible for the club's debts.

Winter had paid about £75,000 of his own money to try to save the club while Touzar, who owns a 98% stake, had not provided any investment.

Winter went on to "ban" Touzar in an attempt to overturn his ownership, after information surfaced questioning the legitimacy of his takeover.

However, Winter confirmed last week that he had quit as co-owner because of Touzar's reluctance to hand over his stake in the club.

During his brief tenure, Dubai-based Touzar has announced the signings of two overseas players - Prince Khalid Bin Bader Alsaud and Faisal Khalil - despite Salisbury being under a transfer embargo.

A statement released on Friday from a Salisbury advisor claimed a supporter-led group, not involving Touzar, had agreed to pay in excess of £91,000 to immediately safeguard the club's future.

However, the Football Conference have said no money had been deposited and, following their expulsion, the future of the club now remains unclear.

The Whites finished 12th in the Conference Premier last term, 10 points off the play-offs and manager Mikey Harris, 29, quit the club last month.

The Football Conference have yet to confirm whether a team will be reprieved in the Conference South, or whether the league will continue with 21 members.