WEST HAM'S owners have had their debts frozen until next September.
The news will come as a blow to David Gold and David Sullivan, who had tabled a £50m offer for the club this week, as it means CB Holdings, the club's owners, are not under immediate pressure to sell.
Had the extension not been granted Icelandic bank Straumur, which holds a 70% stake in CB Holdings, would have gone into liquidation and assets will most likely have had to be sold, playing into Gold and Sullivan's hands.
But the decision means the owners can now wait for more offers to come forward, with London-based financial company Intermarket and Air Asia founder Tony Fernandes the other parties to have expressed an interest in buying the club.
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