The bid to take-over Coventry City by a consortium led by Gary Hoffman has had to be withdrawn.
According to an article in the Telegraph, the offer was unexpectedly withdrawn on Friday afternoon amid concerns over the provenance of its funding and the possible involvement of a businessman with links to West Ham manager Sam Allardyce.
That person is a Ken Bruce, a retired solicitor and a former chairman of the investment vehicle Investing in Sport, who was present at last Friday's meeting with Coventry City's Ken Dulieu and Paul Clouting in Burton On Trent.
It transpires that Bruce is listed as a director of both Game 8 Ltd and its subsidiary Cuju TV Ltd at Companies House.
Former Coventry City defender and now West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce is also listed as a director of both companies and under Article 86 of the Football League’s rules which state that it is not permitted for “a person, or any associate of that person, who is interested in a Club” to be “at the same time interested in any other football club.”, the current bid has had to be withdrawn.
Where this leaves the club and its employees is now anyone's guess.