ANOTHER bitter boardroom battle is brewing in the High Court after the current Swindon Town board announced it intended to sue the previous regime.

Danny Donegan was ousted from his post last November by the Willie Carson consortium and now the two parties are preparing to lock horns again.

The impending court case will also question the validity of player-coach Neil Ruddock's three-year contract.

As well as Donegan, the present board are also taking legal action against Peter Rowe and Gary Lux.

A brief club statement explained why the court action was being taken. it states: "Swindon Town Football Company Ltd (claimant) and specifically its appointed administrator, Andrew Andronikou of Hacker Young, have instructed solicitors, Jeffrey Green Russell, to file a legal claim in The High Court against, Daniel Donegan, Gary Lux and Peter Rowe (defendants) all of whom purported to be directors of Swindon Town Football Company Ltd. The claim is for damages to the sum of up to £1,000,000 relating to several erroneous payments made by the defendants between March 14 2001 and October 18 2001. Furthermore, the claim also cites the contract agreed by the defendants, engaging Neil Ruddock as a player with Swindon Town Football Company Ltd until June 30 2004, was grossly excessive and unjustifiable.''

Current director Bob Holt said: "On the advice of the club's solicitors, Jeffery Green Russell, and Joint Administrator, Andrew Andronikou, the club has legally challenged a number of payments authorised by the defendants."

The claim also refers to Neil Ruddock's contract, which the present regime are extremely unhappy with.

Mr Holt said: "The board of Swindon Town Football Club believes that the contract with Mr Ruddock was a deliberate attempt to prejudice the football club and was not made in its best interests.

"These breaches of duty and obligations to Swindon Town Football Company Ltd seriously jeopardised the very existence of STFC and we believe the club should be compensated for its losses."

Mr Holt said legal constraints prevented him from going into any further detail about the case.

But there is little love lost between the two regimes, with Mr Donegan particularly unhappy at the way he was ousted from his position six months ago.

The previous chairman was removed because he had not been elected to the post at a shareholders' annual general meeting

It is not yet clear when the matter will be heard in the High Court.