ACCRINGTON Stanley were remaining tight-lipped yesterday on whether they had yet reached their fund-raising target.

Stanley must return to the High Court in London on Wednesday to face winding up proceedings if they are unable to pay off a £308,000 tax bill.

Chief executive Rob Heys revealed last Tuesday that a plan was in place to pay off the bill and that more details would be released within 48 hours, but no announcement has yet been made.

That has led to fans, encouraged by last week’s comments, growing increasingly concerned again about the club’s future.

When contacted yesterday, joint chairperson Dave O’Neill declined to give an update on Stanley’s current situation ahead of Wednesday’s hearing.

The club have been in negotiations with HM Revenue and Customs in a bid to strike a new deal to pay off the debt, and Stanley have already raised around £110,000 via the Save Our Stanley Fund.

That figure includes the £12,000 generated by last week’s friendly against Blackburn Rovers and Stanley remain confident of taking the fund-raising total up to the £150,000 mark by Wednesday.

Key people inside the club — including Mr Heys and Mr O’Neill — are due to put in £100,000 of their own money, while Stanley last week revealed that they had also agreed a short-term loan of around £50,000 from as yet unnamed local businessmen.

The club last week announced plans for an issue of 1,000 new shares, which could raise around £250,000 if all are purchased.

The shares are available after David Styring sold his 15 per cent shareholding to the club, who will retain five per cent and offer the other 10 per cent to fans.