Portsmouth date set for April

A court hearing which could determine the future of Portsmouth has been set for April 10 or 11.

The League One club's former owners Portpin are refusing to drop their asking price for Fratton Park, an impasse which is the final stumbling block to a proposed takeover by the Pompey Supporters' Trust.

Administrators PKF want the court to force through the sale of the stadium at a lower price, allowing Pompey to exit administration and avoid the threat of expulsion from the Football League.

And a statement on the club website confirmed the latest development, adding: "As is often the case in such situations, we are unlikely to get confirmation of the exact date from the court until a few days prior to the hearing."

The court date raises the prospect of an end to an administration which has lasted more than a year.

An alternative bid for the club fronted by former Football League chairman Keith Harris has been dismissed out of hand by the League, which insists "it remains focused on a successful transfer of share to the preferred bidder, the PST."