Palace avoid extinction

THE consortium attempting to buy Crystal Palace are confident they can proceed with their takeover after the Championship club dramatically avoided extinction yesterday.

The administrator in charge of the Eagles, who have debts of £30 million (€35m), gave the CPFC 2010 group a 3pm deadline yesterday to reach an agreement with Bank of Scotland over the purchase of the club’s Selhurst Park ground before the liquidation process was due to begin.

Hundreds of Palace fans who had gathered outside the headquarters of Lloyds Bank in London and at Selhurst Park were fearing the worst when that deadline passed.