These are among the latest reports from English football’s financial frontline, a bloody turf of late.

Chester City reached the heights of the League Cup semi-finals in 1975, but was relegated from the football league 10 years ago, and yesterday no-one appeared in the High Court to oppose the clubs winding up. It had failed to pay a 26,125 tax bill.

On the same day there was a glimmer of hope for Portsmouth FC as administrator Andrew Andronikou said the club would finish the season and begin the new season in August 2010. However 85 employees will lose their jobs as part of the club’s financial restructuring. Portsmouth’s debts are around 78 million.

Also in the High Court on Wednesday, but escaping winding-up, were Championship club Cardiff City and League 1 club Southend United. Cardiff was given 56 days to pay off debts of around 1.9 million and Southend a shorter time to settle debts of 411,000.

Isn’t it interesting that the sports which saturates the back pages of every newspaper and fills the headlines of every TV News bulletin, eclipsing virtually all other sports year round, is in so much financial trouble?

Even during the Winter Olympics, which was only given the credit it deserved after the Games finished, couldn’t match football in terms of written content.

So with the news of Chester, Portsmouth, Southend and Cardiff, maybe the only sport that will can dismantle football, is going to be football itself.