LONDON (Reuters) – Debt-ridden English minor league side Chester City were wound up by the High Court on Wednesday, the Press Association reported.

The 126-year-old club had been expelled from the Football Conference (fifth division) last month for failure to pay taxes of 26,125 pounds ($38,970) and without any court representation their fate was inevitable.

Chester were formed in 1885 and reached the League Cup semi-finals in 1975. They were a Football League club until their relegation to the Conference 10 years ago.

They won promotion back to League Two in 2004 but were relegated again last season. Their record in this season’s Conference has been expunged.

Also in court on Wednesday were Championship (second division) club Cardiff City and League One (third division) Southend United but both clubs avoided winding-up orders.

Cardiff have 56 days to pay off arrears of about 1.9 million pounds and Southend have a shorter timeframe to settle debts of 411,000 pounds.

The most high profile English club facing serious financial problems are Premier League Portsmouth who last month went into administration with debts of almost 80 million pounds.

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