The receivers appointed to run Blackpool have appointed financial services company Hilco Global to assess almost 60 different offers for the League One club.
Bringing in Hilco is the next step in the process which started when the High Court took the club from former owner Owen Oyston in February and gave it to joint receivers Paul Cooper and David Rubin to oversee its sale.
Press Association Sport understands the receivers now have a full picture of the club’s financial position and are satisfied it is fit for sale.
In a short statement, they said: “Paul Cooper and David Rubin have today instructed Hilco Global, a leading independent international financial services company to assist in the sale and marketing of the club and related football assets.”
The news will be welcomed by Blackpool fans as further evidence that the club is moving forward after years of strife under the Oyston family’s ownership.
It also comes a day after the English Football League announced that its board will meet on April 11 to discuss if Blackpool should be docked any points for experiencing what is known as an “insolvency event”.
Deductions of up to 12 points are made when clubs seek legal protection from unpaid creditors, such as HM Revenue and Customs, and the appointment of receivers at Blackpool to force the settlement of Oyston’s £25million debt to the club’s former president Valeri Belokon could be viewed in this light.
But the situation at Bloomfield Road is not as clear-cut as in other cases, as the debt is the Oyston family’s, not the club’s.
It is also understood the receivers have presented the league with evidence that shows Blackpool are fundamentally solvent and their finances will only improve now that fans are no longer boycotting games to force Oyston out.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the club said: “We remain confident the financial information and projections submitted to the EFL show the club is self-sufficient. The club now awaits the decision of the EFL Board and is hopeful of a positive conclusion to the matter.”
Blackpool are currently in eighth place, four points off the play-offs, with seven games to play. A 12-point deduction would leave them in 16th place, two clear of the relegation zone.
