Crystal Palace FC , long term rivals of Brighton and Hove Albion, went into administration today.
The club had been in financial trouble for some months, with staff not being paid on time for several months.
Now administrators Brendan Guilfoyle, Chris White and John Russell of the P & A Partnership have been appointed to rescue the club.
Guilfoyle said: “This club has been in the spotlight for some months with creditors pressing for payments and players anxious about their wages.
“Our role now is to find a buyer quickly to provide certainty for the employees, players and fans for the future. We are hoping our appointment will be short-lived as we understand there are many interested buyers.”
Reaction on the Albion fan forum North Stand Chat was largely sympathetic to the rival club’s plight. One fan, posting as strings, said: “As much as I dislike Palace, its never nice to see another football club go through financial troubles.”
However, there was speculation that Albion manager Gus Poyet may take advantage of the south London club’s troubles to sign some of its best players.
Easy 10 said: “Considering the chaos and carnage there at the moment, they seem to have been performing pretty well in the Championship, so they must have a few half decent players there, specially for L1 level.
“I wouldn’t turn my nose up at pilfering a few of those players for our own means, especially as it’ll further weaken their squad and push them closer to the trapdoor.”
