FOOTBALL'S ruling body is this week considering putting a potential new Halifax club into the Northern Premier League.
The Halifax Town Supporters' Trust has lodged a "statement of intent" with the Football Association.
But much work needs to be done between now and any decision being rubber-stamped by the NPL annual meeting next month.
Mike Appleby, league m
anager for the FA, confirmed it had received correspondence from the trust but said there were no guarantees at this stage.
He said the trust now had to affiliate to the West Riding County FA, choose a new name to replace Halifax Town Football Club, and obtain assurances games could be played at the Shay.
If that is done then there is a good chance a team could play in Division One North in what is known as the Unibond League. It is the fourth tier of non-league football.
"We would have to find a level that is appropriate and it is possible it would be the Unibond Division One North. Other clubs have come in at that level," he said.
"But the longer it takes to sort the further down the club is going to end up.
"The NPL annual meeting on the second weekend of June is a cut-off, if not before."
The trust plans to run a members' club. Fans would pay a nominal membership fee and vote to elect the club's board.
It meets tonight (Tuesday) but faces a possible conflict from the consortium which failed to take over the club and secure a deal with creditors.
Trust spokesman Gavin Butler said it had been muted the businessmen might decide to reform a club.
That was likely to split the trust and he hoped that issue would be resolved tonight.
"If the consortium decide not to reform a new club we have to crack on," he said.
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