Newcastle United Football Club (NUFC) has confirmed that owner Mike Ashley has decided against selling the club after businessman Barry Moat failed in an £80m takeover bid.

Ashley put the Coca-Cola Championship club up for sale in June for £100m, but despite reported interest from a number of prospective buyers, NUFC has been unable to secure a deal and will now remain under the control of the sportswear businessman. NUFC has also confirmed that, in addition to £20m planned investment from Ashley, it will be seeking to explore further commercial funding sources, which could include the sale of naming rights to its St James' Park stadium.

Meanwhile, doubts have been cast over the long-term future of Hull City Football Club (HCFC) after auditors Deloitte warned that the Premier League club needs £23m its existing liabilites. According to the BBC, Deloitte has revealed that if the club is relegated from the Premier League at the end of the 2009-10 season, it would lose £7m in funding and the deficit could threaten the future of HCFC.

HCFC executive chair Paul Duffen has resigned from his position, and has now left the club. In a statement, the club said it has started its search for Duffen's replacement and will not issue any further comment until 2 November. Derby County Football Club has also confirmed that chair Adam Pearson has left the club after two years at the helm. Pearson's decision to step down followed discussions with board members and investor groups, which concluded that his departure would be "in the best interests of the club and the individuals involved".

Lower down the English football's league pyramid, Accrington Stanley Football Club (ASFC) has been granted a week extension by the High Court to pay off a £308,000 tax bill owed to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). In a statement, the club confirmed that it had paid £96,000 already, with a further payment of £100,000 due to be made by the end of 28 October. Shareholders Ilyas Khan and Peter Marsden have offered to meet the remaining shortfall.

Weymouth Football Club (WFC), which currently competes in the Blue Square South league, has failed to stave off the threat of administration as the result of ongoing financial difficulties. A WFC statement revealed the club is losing money on a "week-to-week" basis and could face closure if administrators are unable to secure investment in order to avoid increasing sums currently owed to its creditors.

Clachnacuddin Football Club (CFC) of the Highland League has also been placed into administration after the local authority demanded the repayment of debt owed to the Inverness Common Good Fund. According to the club, the Highland Council wants to increase the club's monthly repayment by 850 per cent to £3,800, although the council said it was awaiting a business plan from CFC for the repayment of the £46,500 debt.

A spokesperson for the council said that one option could be to clear the debt within a year by paying £3,800 a month.