Cup heroes Cardiff face tougher test in court

Cup heroes Cardiff face tougher test in court
Mon Mar 10, 2008 6:40pm GMT

By Mike Collett

LONDON (Reuters) - Cardiff City, who survived a potential knockout blow in the FA Cup on Sunday, face another far more serious one in the High Court on Wednesday.

The Welsh club, who beat Premier League Middlesbrough 2-0 to reach the semi-finals for the first time since winning the FA Cup in 1927, are being sued by financial backers Langston over the repayment of an outstanding loan of around 24 million pounds.

If the court ruling goes against the Championship (second division) side, Cardiff could be ordered to repay the loan immediately.

Cardiff say they will have to consider going into administration should that happen, prompting an automatic 10-point deduction by the Football League that would send them plummeting from 14th place in the table into the relegation zone.

City, the only Welsh club to win the FA Cup, will argue they do not have to repay the bulk of their loan to Langston until 2016.

LATE HOUR

Although Cardiff chairman Peter Ridsdale told Sky Sports News last week that administration had to be considered, he added: "I'm hoping that, even at this late hour, we end up not going to court.

"I hope we can resolve things around a table because it must be in everybody's interests, both those people to whom we owe money and of course ourselves."

Ridsdale said even if the club were forced into administration, their plans to leave Ninian Park for a new 30,000-seater stadium by 2009 would not be damaged.

Cardiff's reward for beating Middlesbrough is a semi-final against fellow Championship side Barnsley at Wembley next month.

The winners face Portsmouth or West Bromwich Albion in the final at Wembley on May 17.

If Cardiff should win the trophy they will not be allowed to compete as one of England's representatives in the UEFA Cup next season.

"Cardiff will not be eligible for a UEFA Cup place under rules put in place many years ago," a spokesman for the English FA told Reuters.

"If Cardiff should win the FA Cup the runners-up will take the UEFA Cup place. Welsh clubs can compete in English competitions but cannot represent England in Europe."

Cardiff took part in 14 campaigns in the European Cup Winners' Cup between 1965 and 1994 as Welsh Cup qualifiers, reaching the semi-finals of the now-defunct tournament in 1968.

(Editing by Padraic Halpin)