Leeds Okay Until Season End

Last updated : 18 January 2004 By Kevin Markey

Leeds had until tomorrow to find a rescue package, but that deadline looks likely to be extended with the creditors, who are owed a combined £82m.

Leeds acting chairman Trevor Birch said: "We're close to an agreement with the principle creditors.

"It will give us an extension of at least a week.

"And that will enable us to put the funds in place to fund the club for the rest of the season.

"We have some certainty then, we are either still in the Premier league or relegated and both scenarios provide different solutions."

Sheikh Abdulrahman Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa has been linked as a possible saviour.

But Birch said the Bahrain-based lifelong Leeds fan had yet to come up with any proposal.

"I'm certainly getting fed up of reading what he's about to do in the papers, it's really a time to show us the colour of his money, to put up or shut up.

"I think it's done nobody any favours. It just raises expectations and leads to people being upset when those deadlines aren't reached.

"It's quite clear that nobody is out there wanting to take the risk on relegation because it brings with it a big trading loss.

"Anybody buying at this stage is taking a risk they will be on the hook for that next year," Birch told Sky Sports News.