National League South club Ebbsfleet United have been suspended from competition due to unpaid debts and will not fulfil their first three fixtures of the new season.
The National League issued a statement after a Compliance and Licensing Committee meeting on Wednesday confirming the club were unable “to meet its financial obligations throughout the 2026-27 season”.
“Following careful consideration, the Committee has taken the decision under applicable regulations to suspend Ebbsfleet United FC, with a review to be undertaken by the Committee on 19 August,” the League said.
“As a result of suspension, at this time, the club will not be able to fulfil the opening three fixtures of the coming season.”
It means their trip to Slough Town on Saturday, Folkestone Invicta’s visit to the Kuflink Stadium on 15 August and their match away at Chelmsford City two days later on 17 August will all be rescheduled.
Ebbsfleet are hoping to complete a takeover by a consortium led by Dublin-based businessman John O’Leary and were recently issued with a HMRC winding-up order.
A club statement read: “Obviously, for our playing group, management, staff and most importantly supporters, this has come as a shock and is extremely upsetting.”
Ebbsfleet, who were relegated from the National League in 2024/25, added they had written to the League on Wednesday and “proposed the HMRC debt would be cleared by the end of August once a full transfer of ownership had taken place”.
It comes after plans for a new 8,000-seater stadium around Ebbsfleet, as well as 3,500 homes, were refused by the government over concerns for lead pollution, jobs and a safeguarded minerals wharf.