EFL postpones meeting on Derby future as administrators seek to make progress

A meeting to discuss the future of Derby has been postponed to allow administrators to make “additional progress”, the EFL has said.

The PA news agency reported on Friday that private investment firm Carlisle Capital had submitted a formal bid to take the club out of administration, while it is understood a consortium put together by General Sports Worldwide (GSW) is also in the frame.

The EFL said on Monday: “Following positive developments over the course of the weekend, a proposed meeting involving the EFL and political stakeholders to discuss the ongoing challenges at Derby County set for later today has been postponed to allow for additional progress to be made by the administrators.

“It is now expected that the league and the administrators will sit down in the next 24 hours as we seek to resolve the outstanding issues to the satisfaction of all parties.”

Sources close to Carlisle Capital told PA on Friday it had made an offer for the club in the region of £28million.

The bid, understood to be spearheaded by the firm’s vice-president Adam Binnie, was made fully in the knowledge that the club could face additional liabilities if one or both of the claims against Derby from Middlesbrough and Wycombe are successful.

Sources close to the group assembled by GSW say it remains interested. It is believed that group is prepared to also buy Pride Park from the club’s former owner and chairman Mel Morris and take on any liabilities arising from the Middlesbrough and Wycombe claims.

There has also been interest from former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley in taking the club out of administration, but it is understood he is nowhere near pole position.

The EFL has asked Derby’s administrators to produce a funding plan by February 1, saying in a statement last week that by the administrators’ own admission, they would run out of cash by the end of the month.

The same EFL statement also called on the administrators to name a preferred bidder.