SWINDON Town was to become a feeder club for Premier League giants Tottenham Hotspur when Lee Power took over as director of football, a High Court judge heard yesterday.

On what was the second day of the hearing determining who owns the club, former chairman Jed McCrory alleged Power had targeted Town for the feeder model after unsuccessful attempts elsewhere.

Speaking from the witness box at the High Court, McCrory said Power had come to Town’s attention as somebody who could facilitate transfers, especially loan deals through Spurs owing to his close friendship with Tim Sherwood, technical director at the time.

McCrory said Power was brought in as an agent and director of football, tasked with bringing the wage bill down from £3.4m to £2m.

“On the basis of Lee coming, he was trying to create a feeder club with Tottenham Hotspur,” said the former Town chief.

“He wanted this position in order to create a feeder club model.”

In his own evidence given on the first day of the hearing, Power touched upon his relationship with Sherwood and why he would have been interested in seeing a group of his players on loan at one club.

“He (Tim Sherwood) had a group of players who were very difficult to have watched,” he said.

“Tim was looking for a club which he could have his players sent out to in a package, have them watched and played in a certain style.”

Over the last 14 months Town have brought a string of young Tottenham prospects to the County Ground on loan including Massimo Luongo, Alex Pritchard, Nathan Byrne and Grant Hall.

Power has previously denied any formal feeder link with Tottenham.

Current Town chairman Power also shone the light on how he first came to put the £1.2m up which would ultimately lift the transfer embargo at the County Ground and allow the trade of players ahead of last season.

“Martin King approached me and said they were looking for players still,” said Power.

“When I arranged that deal (loan signings from Spurs) I got told none of them had any money and would go into administration with the embargo.”

Power said he would come on-board and offer a short-term loan to lift the embargo.

The hearing continues with a judgement expected next week.