Monday's court hearing was the latest airing of the ongoing disputes surrounding the ownership of Swindon Town.

History of dispute

Football agent Michael Standing claims he has a 50 per cent stake held in trust for him following a verbal agreement with Mr Power in March 2013. He says he has put millions into the club since then via Mr Power. 

By contrast, Mr Power, who became chairman in the same year, says Mr Standing was acting as agent for his then client Premier League ace Gareth Barry.

Mr Standing obtained a court injunction in November 2019 preventing Mr Power from selling the club without his permission. A five-day hearing to adjudicate on the claims is expected to take place in June 2022.

You can read more about the case here.

Australian construction mogul Clem Morfuni was transferred a 15 per cent share in holding companies Swinton Reds and Seebeck 87 last November after a High Court fight in which he too obtained an injunction preventing the club’s sale without his express permission.

Mr Morfuni, whose share is held by Axis Football Investments Ltd, said he paid £1.1m for the 15 per cent stake in 2018.

In March, the court granted a temporary injunction preventing Mr Power from putting the club into administration.

The three issues

Today, Judge Thompsell was asked to decide three things.

Firstly, whether the order preventing Mr Power from placing the club into administration should continue.

Secondly, the chairman’s lawyers hoped to vary or discharge the 2019 injunction stopping him from being able to sell the club – paving the way for a sale to AC Sports Wiltshire LLC.

READ MORE: Town bosses respond to Trust STFC's support for Morfuni

And, thirdly, Mr Morfuni submitted an application to "intervene" - in other words join Mr Standing's latest legal efforts to block the club's sale - citing a clause in his agreement with Mr Power that the club should not be sold without Axis’ written consent.

Perhaps summarising the frustration felt by many fans, Judge Thomspsell said: “I’m quite sure this is an important institution within the life of Swindon. It means a lot to a lot of people and that is not something any of us should be endangering.”

He suggested both sides were endangering it by, effectively, refusing to back down.

You can read his conclusions here.

Woe for Town

The hearing came amid mounting pressure for Swindon Town, which is in the relegation zone at the bottom of the League One table.

Sponsor Verelogic joined the National Self-Build and Renovation Centre in announcing it would not continue to fund the club over concerns about Power’s management.

On Saturday, manager John Sheridan resigned during his post-match interview after Town went 4-1 down to AFC Wimbledon.