Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporting

THE ISLAND'S premier league continues to wearily thread in deep, dark waters as new title sponsors, Cash Plus Group, received more bad news yesterday following a refusal by the courts to extend an injunction barring National Commercial Bank from closing its remaining accounts.

According to chairman of the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), Edward Seaga, payments are now two months in arrears for the top-flight outfits, which is becoming an increasingly alarming issue.

The outstanding amounts are those for both the months of November and December, in addition to money still owed to the winners and runner-up of the first End-of-Round final.

This makes the total owed by the sponsors to the clubs somewhere in the region of $12,750,000 million.

"We are all struggling, that is how it is affecting us. We haven't come to an end, but we are struggling. We just have to find some other means of survival," Seaga explained. "What we got during the time that we were getting money, in terms of amounts, was much more than we got for all of last year. "It's not that we haven't benefited from Cash Plus but in so doing so, we expected to benefit for the entire year"

Cash Plus Group took over duties as title sponsors from long-time Wray and Nephew back in September of last year, but began to encounter its fair share of legal troubles since November when the Financial Services Commission (FSC) moved to shut down its operation because it illegally as it was not registered with the regulatory body. Afterwards, NCB freezed the Cash Plus Group accounts.

While the PLCA confessed to be working on a contingency plan, should the Cash Plus deal fall through, Seaga admits that things are not quite yet in place.

"We are still in talks right now but we haven't gone very far, so it would be hasty to say there is anything in place."

He added: "There's a direction that we are moving to find something, but I wouldn't say we have anything in place at this moment."

The PLCA, which was formed last year, comprise the 12 clubs in the Premier League. Each club is considered a shareholder with one vote on such issues as rule changes and contracts.

The clubs formed the association in order to claim a better stake in their own financial viability. The association was also responsible for securing Coca-Cola as title sponsors of the National Under 21 league.

The Premier League is a little over half-way through the season.