SWINDON Town have become embroiled in a £1million legal battle as the club's murky financial past continues to haunt Andrew Fitton's new regime.

Former investors' Bill Power and Phil Emmell have turned their sights onto the club itself to regain the £1.12m they claim they are owed after their initial target were placed into administration.

A High Court date has been brewing ever since Power and Emmell claimed they had only loaned the sum to Swindon Town Football Club Holdings Limited, against the holding company's assertion it was part of a share issue Now with the holding company, controlled by previous Town owners the Wills family, placed into administration the heat has been turned directly on the club's present regime to meet the supposed debts.

Chairman Andrew Fitton has revealed they are "partially" indemnified by the Wills family against any potential costs but did admit the time and effort the case was going to waste was staggering.

Town remain confident they will win the case but Fitton also admitted the time spent on defending themselves is taking precious attention away from helping build a squad ready for a promotion push.

He said: "We don't want the fans to be alarmed because we will sort this out but it is just another reminder that we can't go from zero to hero immediately. The past continues to haunt us and that will take time.

"The legal fees in this process will be staggering and while we have protection from the old owners, because we are not daft, we will be spending more time on this than discussing new players and for what?

"We will have to decide whether to claim the costs back from the Wills family and it all just becomes a real legal mess.

"We will sort it out though because that is what we do."

The club were in court on Friday for a preliminary hearing, after an amended statement of claim was issued against them, with the case expected to be heard in July.

"What upsets me is we got a call from Phil Emmell saying they would do nothing to damage the club," said Fitton.

"Now they seem hell-bent on damaging the club.

"I am extremely disappointed because the time and aggravation this will cost us is huge.

"It just shows again how the past continues to creep out of the woodwork."

Emmell was unavailable for comment but Power said: "We don't want to harm the club we just want the money back that we are owed."

The Wills family advisor Mike Diamandis believes Emmell and Power do not have a case.

"I have always said they did not have a case," said Diamandis.

"I think they are trying to win this claim on a point of law.

"First I think they still need to establish whether the money was a loan or shares."