A FRUSTRATED Andrew Fitton admits "the only winners will be the lawyers" as Town's murky financial past looks set to linger into 2009.

A High Court battle between former investors' Bill Power and Phil Emmell and previous owners the Wills family over £1.12 million was set to start today but an 11th hour adjournment sees the case now not expected to be heard until January next year.

A High Court date has been brewing ever since Power and Emmell claimed they loaned the sum to Swindon Town Football Club Holdings Limited, against the holding company's assertion it was part of a share issue.

Now though, with the holding company placed in administration, the heat has been turned directly onto the club's present regime to meet any supposed debts.

With legal debts expected to top over £500,000, Fitton knows Town could eventually be facing almost £2million debts - although the chairman has again assured fans they are partially indemnified by the Wills family against any potential costs.

It would take time and money to claim any costs back though and, with a new six-month delay, Fitton admits it is a complication the club could well do without.

He said: "I don't have any hopes of what will happen but the most unfortunate thing is it has nothing to do with the football club but we still have to deal with it.

"The whole legal process does no-one any good, not the Wills family, not Bill Power and Phil Emmell and certainly not ourselves.

"The only winners will be the lawyers. If the club were to lose, we would have to pay out any costs and then look to get that back from the Wills family. But the process just drags on.

"I am hopeful we would get that money back but I am frustrated by the time and effort it has taken that could, and should, have been spent on building the squad."

Power revealed the late adjournment came about due to the illness of his side's barrister's mother but revealed his hope the increasingly complicated legal battle would not ruin his relationship with the club.

He said: "The whole thing is very regrettable.

"An illness to someone's family puts things into perspective a little bit but it is frustrating it drags on.

"All I would say is I continue to get on very well with any Town fans I speak to and I hope when Swindon play QPR in the league cup next month I can come to the game as Mr Fitton's guest.

"He has been fine with us throughout and if I was welcome at the game I would turn up in a red and white scarf. We don't want to hurt Swindon Town."

Fitton though, added: "I think the club cannot help but suffer from all this.

"I was away on holiday all last week and I still spent hours on the phone because of this, instead of talking about football."