Shareholders have voted to put hard-up Championship One side Rochdale Hornets into administration. This allows the club to avoid a winding-up order by the Inland Revenue over a £55,000 debt which was due to be heard in the High Court on Wednesday.

Rochdale chief executive Ken Oldham said: (quote)Going into administration was the preferred option. We are talking to the football club about forming a new company but it won’t be a merger, as there would still be two separate companies but the football club may have a director on the new board.(end quote)

The Hornets, one of 20 founder members of the Rugby League in 1895, will continue to prepare for their season opener in the Northern Rail Cup against Oldham at Boundary Park on 8 February. However they still face automatic suspension by the Rugby Football League and could face more sanctions if no rescuer is found.