Leyton Orient - safe for now

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Orient avoid winding-up order after paying tax debt- - (March 20th 2017)


The future of Leyton Orient is safe for now after telling the Royal Courts of Justice they had paid their tax debt in full.

The League Two side was at threat of being placed in administration and then going into liquidation after HM Revenue & Customs had applied for a winding-up order because of an unpaid tax bill, believed to be £250,000.

EFL rules mean a 12-point deduction for any club in administration.

The league's governing body said last week that the club had assured them that funds were in place to clear the debt and on Monday the court was informed the bill had been settled.

The court was told there are also four other creditors, with the barrister of owner Francesco Becchetti saying their client would put £1m into the club within 8-10 weeks to clear all debts.

The owner has been given until June 12 to clear them.

Orient are bottom of League Two and have lost 24 of their 38 league games this season.

They have been a league club for 112 years and less than three years ago they were two penalty kicks away from promotion to the Championship.

In July 2014, lifelong fan and promoter Barry Hearn sold the club for £4m to Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti two months after they lost the League One play-off final to Rotherham United on penalties.

Waste disposal businessman Becchetti had big plans for the club.

He was described by one UK newspaper as "one of the richest men in Italy" but his time in charge has been plagued by controversies, fan protests, managerial changes and defeats on the pitch.

The club have had 10 managers under Becchetti and in January 2016 he was banned for six games and fined £40,000 by the FA for kicking assistant manager Andy Hessenthaler. :shock: -