Crystal Palace administrators are a step closer to finding a buyer.

The Times says Palace's administrators are expected to give preferred-bidder status to a consortium of fans seeking to buy the Coca-Cola Championship club.

Steve Parish, the chief executive of TAG Worldwide, an advertising design company, is understood to be among the group, who may also include Martin Long, the Churchill Insurance founder, and Ron Noades, the former Palace and Brentford chairman.

Should they succeed, the group will also need to agree a deal with the accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the administrator of the company that owns Selhurst Park.