Liverpool Risk Point Deduction If Court Case Drags

Liverpool would be at risk of a nine-point deduction if the owners' holding company is put into administration, it has emerged.

Initially it had been thought the Premier League would not penalise the club for Kop Holdings becoming insolvent, but now the threat of a points deduction has become a serious one.

The Royal Bank of Scotland could put Kop Holdings, the company owned by Tom Hicks and George Gillett, into administration if the Americans continue to block a takeover by New England Sports Ventures and have not paid off their £280million debt to the bank by October 15.

Under Premier League rules, the fact that the holding company is solely concerned with the ownership of Liverpool and football-related matters could trigger the nine-point penalty.

An insider told Press Association Sport: "It is not completely clear whether the nine-point penalty would come into play but it would be a risk."