Terriers put in administration

Huddersfield Town have been placed in administration after a players' petition was successfully heard yesterday at Leeds High Court.

The Terriers' chairman, David Taylor, did not make an objection to the application brought on behalf of the club's players, many of whom have not been paid in full for five months. Huddersfield, who are bottom of the Second Division, sacked their manager, Mick Wadsworth, last Friday and put Mel Machin in temporary charge.

Within the last month, fans have set up a supporters' trust, which they hope will help the club through the present difficulties and avoid the threat of liquidation.

The Huddersfield Town Survival Trust's interim chairman, Robert Pepper, admitted: "Administration is the only way forward for Huddersfield Town, with a number of potential investors saying their only choice is to deal with the administrator.

"If Huddersfield Town is to survive within the Football League then a swift resolution to its current difficulties is essential and we look forward to working with the administrators to achieving this aim." There are two groups reported to be interested in taking over the West Yorkshire club, with the former Terriers director Paul Haigh fronting one prospective bid.

Ron Noades yesterday resigned as chairman and director of Huddersfield's Second Division rivals, Brentford, with immediate effect. He has kept a promise to hand over control of the west London club to the Bees United Supporters' Trust, after facing criticism from fans about his plans to sell Griffin Park.

"A number of our supporters are clearly of the opinion that if I stand down the remainder of the board and Bees United will have a better chance of achieving the aims of the club in order to secure its long-term future," he said yesterday. Noades will continue to support the club's overdraft, which is close to £4.5m, for up to two more seasons.

Brentford will hold a board meeting later this week to elect a new chairman. Stephen Callen and Andrew Wainwright of Bees United were elected to the board yesterday as the trust contributed £100,000 to the club's finances.