Football: Barnet struggling to meet deadline

BARNET have been given until 11am today, an hour before the start of the Football League's annual general meeting, to provide an assurance that they can fulfil their fixtures next season. If they do not do so, their League membership could end after just two years, writes Rupert Metcalf.

Yesterday the League refused to release pounds 91,000, a sum withheld in lieu of fines and commission costs, to the troubled north London club, who are now unlikely to receive a pounds 250,000 loan, which was conditional on aid from the League, from potential new backers.

'They can set as many deadlines as they like,' Stanley Beller, Barnet's company secretary, said. 'It remains to be seen whether the board can get together and be in a position to give an answer in the time set.'

David Dent, the League's secretary, said: 'The League has a duty to support and encourage every club, but lending any club money is clearly outside its remit.'

Joe Jordan, the former Scotland centre-forward who lost his job as Heart of Midlothian's manager last month, became assistant manager at Celtic yesterday on a day of change at Parkhead. The manager, Liam Brady, demoted his previous No 2, Tommy Craig, to youth development officer, and brought in Frank Connor, who was Jordan's assistant at Hearts, as reserve-team coach and Tom McAdam as youth-team coach. Mick Martin, Bobby Lennox and Benny Rooney have all been released from the coaching staff.