{"id":9461,"date":"2026-05-17T00:55:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T00:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=9461"},"modified":"2026-05-17T00:55:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T00:55:21","slug":"ebbsfleet-united-deny-hmrc-winding-up-order-before-confirming-all-liabilities-have-been-settled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=9461","title":{"rendered":"Ebbsfleet United deny HMRC winding-up order, before confirming all liabilities have been settled"},"content":{"rendered":"


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On Tuesday 12 May, National League South club Ebbsfleet United reacted to reports that HMRC had issued a winding-up order against the club. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Initially, Ebbsfleet said that no such filing had been made against them, before subsequently adding a line to the brief explainer to say that matters had been settled. <\/p>\n

Adam Williams, Head of Football Finance and Governance at GRV Media, broke the news on the social media platform X. <\/p>\n

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\ud83d\udea8 Exclusive: HMRC file winding-up petition against Ebbsfleet United<\/p>\n

\u201cWe take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and only file winding-up petitions once we\u2019ve exhausted all other options, in order to protect taxpayers\u2019 money,” HMRC told me.<\/p>\n

(1\/2)<\/p>\n

\u2014 Adam Williams (@Adam___Williams) May 12, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Ebbsfleet responds on HMRC liabilities<\/h2>\n

A spokesperson for the UK tax authority told Williams, \u201cWe take a supportive approach to dealing with customers who have tax debts and only file winding-up petitions once we\u2019ve exhausted all other options, in order to protect taxpayers\u2019 money. <\/p>\n

The update on X was also reposted by football finance expert and lecturer, Kieran Maguire. <\/p>\n

This led to a short response from Ebbsfleet, posted on the club\u2019s official website, which was later updated.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are aware of reports that the club is subject to a winding-up petition due to outstanding HMRC debts,\u201d said the statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe club has not received any notice of this and has not been served any notice.<\/p>\n

\u201cEUFC has been in constant dialogue with HMRC around clearing some VAT and PAYE debt in recent weeks and, with the pending change of ownership imminent, expects all liabilities to be cleared in full.\u201d<\/p>\n

Around an hour later, the club added the following to confirm that all existing debts have been settled. <\/p>\n

\u201cFurther to the earlier statement, our incumbent ownership have today brought all HMRC liabilities up to date.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Credit: EUFC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Striving for progress on and off the pitch<\/h3>\n

On the pitch, the 2025\/26 season was a fairly average one for The Fleet. <\/p>\n

Manager Josh Wright led his side to a ninth-place finish in the National League South table, narrowly missing out on the playoffs. <\/p>\n

The club has its sights on a return to the National League, one level above their current sixth-tier status, but that will need to wait for another season. <\/p>\n

They last played in that division during the 2024\/25 campaign, which proved to be a tumultuous one, off the pitch as well. <\/p>\n

The Kent club is seeking stability, which would act as a springboard for sporting success, but ownership issues are still dragging on. <\/p>\n

In August 2025, Ebbsfleet United confirmed that terms had been agreed between the majority shareholders and a consortium led by Dublin-based businessman John O\u2019Leary. <\/p>\n

It was said that KEH Sports, the existing majority owners, would support the new custodians during the transition period. <\/p>\n

KEH Sports Ltd, led by Abdulla Al-Humaidi, acquired Ebbsfleet United in 2013, but they were never able to deliver on aspirations to make a breakthrough into the English Football League. <\/p>\n

In 2023, Al-Humaidi stepped back from his role as chairman following his personal bankruptcy, and family members assumed various roles within the club\u2019s ownership structure. <\/p>\n

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Stonebridge Road, currently known as the Kuflink Stadium, the home of Ebbsfleet United. Credit: Danny Last \/ @dannylast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What happens next for Ebbsfleet United<\/h3>\n

At the time of writing, Ebbsfleet United is still waiting on ratification of the new regime, with the transactions subject to legal and regulatory approval from the FA and the National League. <\/p>\n

The club provided the following update on April 30: <\/p>\n

\u201cThe process for the transfer of ownership is ongoing\u2026with a raft of financial agreements and commitments needing to be formalised at significant cost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ebbsfleet United had a transfer embargo in place for less than two weeks in October last year due to previous issues with HMRC, but that was also settled in due course. <\/p>\n

The wait for stability and certainty off the pitch continues for The Fleet, while plans are already in place for pre-season this summer and the renewed quest for promotion. <\/p>\n

This is a club that operates in a far different dimension from the Premier League elite, such as Manchester City or Chelsea, but it shows that the questions of finance and football governance permeate all the way through the football pyramid. <\/p>\n

The more things change, they stay the same.<\/p>\n

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