Chester City Football Club (CCFC) is set to be kicked out of the Blue Square Premier after Football Conference board members recommended the club's expulsion.

The club, which was handed a 25-point deduction at the start of the 2009-10 season due to financial difficulties, pleaded guilty to five counts of breaching league rules, including a failure to fulfil fixtures and non-payment of creditors. Football Conference officials have now called a general meeting of member clubs to vote on plans to expel the club, which has been suspended from the league since 11 February.

A Danish group - Projekt Chester City - is currently exploring the possibility of acquiring CCFC in order to secure the club's future, although it is believed that the owner of Welsh club Total Network Solutions is also interested. Meanwhile, Portsmouth Football Club (PFC) has reportedly issued a plea to the Premier League to be able to sell players outside of the transfer window in a bid to raise funds to see off a winding up order.

According to the BBC, the club is due to appear in the High Court on 1 March over an £11.7m unpaid tax bill owed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), having been forced to deliver a detailed financial statement to the court and HMRC on 17 February. PFC, which is believed to be £60m in debt, has already had four owners this season, with Hong Kong-businessman Balram Chainrai currently at the helm having seized control of the club earlier this month.

Notts County Football Club (NCFC) of Coca-Cola League Two is now under new ownership after businessman Ray Trew acquired Peter Trembling's 90 per cent stake in the club. However, the club - purchased by Munto Finance last year before being sold to Trembling in a management buy-out - is reported to be in need of a significant cash boost to safeguard its long-term future.

Administrators at Coca-Cola League One outfit, Stockport County Football Club (SCFC) have revealed that the Football League has vetoed a potential takeover by the Melrose Consortium. In a statement, administrators for Leonard Curtis said: "We will continue to actively seek interest from other parties and would emphasise that any such parties should notify us of their interest as quickly as possible in order to ensure the club's future."

Elsewhere, Crawley Town Football Club and Burscough Football Club of the Blue Square Premier and Unibond League Premier Division respectively have been granted more time by the High Court to settle outstanding tax debts. Northwich Victoria Football Club of the Blue Square North has been handed a £2,500 fine by the Football Conference for breaching regulations on the payment of football creditors, as well as receiving a suspended £7,500 fine and ten-point deduction if it fails to settle its football-related debts by 31 March.