Saints, who have debts estimated at £30million and are lying second from bottom in the Coca-Cola Championship, should avoid a 10-point penalty from the Football League as the club itself is not in administration - parent company Southampton Leisure Holdings plc are.

"This makes a mockery of the Football League's attempt to uphold the integrity of the competition," Sweet said in a statement.

"If this sails through I see no reason why any football club should not set up a holding company that carries the entire debt of the club which is periodically put into administration in order to cleanse debt whilst attracting no sanctions. This smacks yet again as double standards between clubs currently at different levels of the game."

He added: "Before we came in to rescue Luton Town last August, the previous owners paid agents from its holding company.

"For this, the club was docked an additional 10 points from the FA - a penalty that clearly recognises the relationship between the holding company and the club itself. Why, therefore, does the FL choose not to recognise this relationship in Southampton's case?"