BBC SPORT | Football | Teams | Airdrieonians | Archibald faces 15-year ban

Former Barcelona and Scotland striker Steve Archibald faces a 15-year ban from holding a directorship with any UK-based company.

Archibald, who also played for Aberdeen, Clyde and Tottenham Hotspur and managed East Fife, has failed to co-operate with liquidators of now defunct Airdrieonians Football Club.

And they have reported him to the Department of Trade and Industry, which will now investigate his suitability to hold a UK directorship.

Archibald's company, Pacific Shelf 956, still owes 37 creditors �760,700 from its time running the First Division club.

They have to decide whether to take the matter to court within two years

Liquidator Derek Simpson

Derek Simpson, from Glasgow accountancy firm French Duncan confirmed to BBC Sport Online: "Our firm has spoken to Mr Archibald a couple of time, but he has not co-operated with us, which is not going to be in his favour.

"He may well have taken the view that he does not wish to hold a directorship in this country again."

Archibald has returned to Spain, which has not helped the liquidators' own investigations into events at the Scottish club.

"It is up to the DTI now as we have made our report," said Simpson, whose firm had extended its own deadline to Archibald by six months.

Steve Archibald with the Challenge Cup
Archibald helped Airdrie lift the Challenge Cup
"But they have to decide whether to take the matter to court within two years of the liquidation to comply with their own regulations."

Archibald was given preferred bidder status of Airdrie at the start of the 2000-2001 season after the building of their new stadium plunged them into financial trouble.

He had constant run-ins with the liquidator until his contract to run the club was terminated after it was concluded that he did not have the money to complete a takeover.

A new consortium took over in March, only for the club to go into liquidation two months later.

Yet another grouping bought over troubled Clydebank, renamed it Airdrie United and this season have been playing in the Second Division and renting Airdrieonians' former ground, the Excelsior Stadium, now owned by the local council.


	Links to more Airdrieonians stories