by Alex Hoad

The future of Ashford Town is no nearer to being decided after the High Court delayed the winding-up case against the club for the gathering of evidence.

Representatives of feuding directors Tony Betteridge and Don Crosbie (pictured before their falling-out) met in Court 53 of the High Court on The Strand on Wednesday morning.

Mr Registrar Simmonds had the option to put the club into liquidation after the petition was lodged by Mr Betteridge but instead gave Mr Crosbie’s representatives 14 days to set out their case against the petition, providing evidence in writing.

Mr Betteridge - who says he launched the petition to stop the club from piling more debt on top of the estimated £1million it already owes – will then be given the same period to set out his argument in writing before a date is set for a hearing.

Due to the High Court taking a summer break during August, Mr Betteridge said the case was unlikely to be heard before September.

He said: “As I expected, the other side arrived with evidence to contest the petition. This could drag on – the High Court also takes a summer break so we could be looking at it dragging on into the season.”

Although being liquidated would mean the end for the club in its current form, Mr Betteridge, who owns the freehold to Homelands, insisted Town fans could still have another team to follow.

He said: “Whatever happens, there will be an Ashford Town.

“If I can, I will form another Ashford Town and I would be looking to all those people who are committed to the well-being of the club to help me make it work.

“I can even see a situation where I won’t even be a director of that club, a situation where I entrust it to the hands of others.”