West Ham United's co-owner David Gold is prepared to lend debt-ridden Premier League rivals Portsmouth £10m to prevent them from going into liquidation. The south-coast club are bottom of the table and face a winding-up petition from the British government's Revenue and Customs office over an unpaid tax bill of 11.7 million pounds on March 1.

"I am prepared to lend them 10 million pounds. The people who caused their problems are no longer there. So you can't take it out on the people who are left, the major people left are the fans," Gold said in an interview with Talksport radio.

"I am not trying to prevent them from going into administration. I am trying to be there in the event there would be a likelihood of them going into liquidation.

"I'd expect to get my money back - which would be an advance on their parachute payment if they get relegated - in August," added Gold, who took control of West Ham last month with business partner David Sullivan after the pair owned Birmingham City for 17 years.

"By that time, the transfer window would have opened and they could also sell some players.

"I would expect they would have been deducted points for going into administration, they might be on their way to the third tier, but the important thing is they would still be in existence."

Gold admitted that if West Ham had been safe or chasing a European place, he would probably have not made the offer.

"The first thing is what impact will (Portsmouth folding) have on West Ham? So there is no question that part of me is being driven by that," he said.

"Having said that, I then look to other issues and if it was happening to us, I would say, 'who is there to help us?'"