Essex firm sank in February but was bought up under a pre-pack deal

The administrator of a cladding and roofing contractor which worked on a new stand going up at Liverpool鈥檚 Anfield ground has confirmed unsecured creditors are not set to get any of the money they鈥檙e owed back.

In an update filed at Companies House, Quantuma Advisory, the administrator for SD Samuels (Special Projects), said unsecured creditors, owed 拢5.4m between them, were unlikely to see any money returned.

It added that it had received 87 claims from out of pocket firms totalling 拢3.4m so far and added: 鈥淚t is not anticipated a dividend will be paid to unsecured creditors.鈥

anfield

Source: Shutterstock

Liverpool is now managing completion of the new stand, seen under construction last year, at the Anfield Road end of the ground itself

The Essex-based firm, set up in 2004 to target jobs of 拢750,000 or more, went into administration on 13 February but was bought up for just over 拢159,000 on the same day under a pre-pack deal.

Quantuma said the firm鈥檚 bank HSBC, a secured creditor, was owed 拢764,000 at the time of the administration but admitted the amount the bank would get back and when had not yet been worked out.

HMRC, owed 拢433,000, has also been told how much it will get back and when has yet to be decided.

The collapsed firm had worked on the Anfield Road stand for Buckingham, which itself sank into administration earlier this month.

Liverpool has now taken charge of the building work itself, having appointed Preston firm Rayner Rowen to complete the work.

In an update earlier this month, Liverpool was unable to give a date when it would finish the 7,000 seat scheme. It said the upper tier of the stand would remain closed up to and including its Europa League game against Belgian club Union SG on 5 October.

It added that extra capacity would be 鈥渋ncrementally phased in after the next three home games鈥 with these concluding with the 5 October match.

The job was supposed to be ready in time for the start of the new season but has been operating at reduced capacity since Liverpool鈥檚 first home game on 19 August against Bournemouth. It is estimated the club is racking up 拢750,000 per home game of lost revenue meaning if the stand is ready for its next home game after 5 October, the Merseyside derby against Everton on 21 October, it will have accumulated 拢3.75m in lost earnings.

In an earlier update which explained the reasons for the pre-pack, Quantum said there was 鈥渘o prospect of persuading new funding to allow medium-term trading to continue鈥 and added: 鈥淭he benefits of achieving a pre-package sale were the transfer of employees and the absence of a break in supply of goods and services.鈥

The new owner is called SD Samuels Ltd, three of whose directors held directorships at SD Samuels (Special Projects), while a fourth is a former director of the business. SD Samuels Ltd is part of a business set up in 1993.

Quantuma said the pre-pack sale was wrapped up with an initial payment of 拢20,000 made on the day of the sale with the remainder set to be paid in monthly instalments.

The update said the new firm had made six payments totalling just over 拢51,000 to the end of July with the remainder due to be paid off by June next year.