KPMG now wishes "to encourage early offers for the stadium and will shortly be discussing with North Lanarkshire Council the best way forward".

While Ayr United chairman Bill Barr's company is still owed money for the building of the stadium, the council owns the title deeds to the land and, in effect, can claim ownership.

It has written to the SFL urging it to "seize the opportunity to save a part of Scotland's footballing history".

Local MPs have added their backing and a letter to the SFL adds: "With an established home support and a first-class stadium on its doorstep, a senior Airdrie team would be a real asset for the Scottish Third Division.

"We understand that at least one application from a new Airdrie club, through a consortium led by Jim Ballantyne, will be submitted and the council will be supporting this in any way it can."

Any new club to emerge from the ashes of Airdrieonians will have to find a new name.

Ballantyne had already registered the names Airdrie FC Ltd and Airdrie Football Club Ltd for that purpose.

A KPMG statement said: "Given the existence of other variants of the 'Airdrie FC' name, the joint interim liquidators are no longer seeking offers for the Airdrieonians Football and Athletic Club name.

"The stadium was being sold as a package alongside the club name in order to maximise the chances of an application being made to the SFL for a new Airdrie FC to play in the Third Division next season."