With fans holding a vigil at Home Park until their match on Saturday, Plymouth have a tense 24 hours to see if their preferred bidder finally comes up with cash to rescue the club.
Bishop International have until 5pm on Friday to deposit close to £6million with the Administrator to complete their purchase. Chief Kevin Heaney has repeatedly said the funds are available but has missed several previous deadlines, while the Football League have so far failed to pass the deal after expressing 'several concerns' over the deal two weeks ago.
Should the funds fail to arrive, the Administrator will turn to previously rejected bidders James Brent and Paul Buttivant for an immediate cash injection. A six-figure sum would be required on September 1st to cover the wage bill, with a second six-figure sum due two weeks later. Neither Brent nor Buttivant currently want to commit funds with no guarantees, with both expected to take several weeks to complete any deal.
That means that, should Bishop International renege on their promises, the Pilgrims will again be seeking the goodwill of creditors and staff to carry on trading. That goodwill is beginning to run out with Stephane Zubar, one of the few players remaining from last season, quitting the club this morning for 'personal reasons'. Several of the off-field staff have also left in recent weeks to seek guaranteed wages elsewhere and pay their bills.
On the pitch, Plymouth face rock-bottom Crewe on Saturday.