THE Rugby Football League could be forced into a re-organisation of the Co-operative Championship if Gateshead Thunder are relegated as a result of their shareholding crisis.

Thunder revealed yesterday that that the club’s holding company, Gateshead & Newcastle Rugby Limited, is to be liquidated following a dispute between chairman Steve Garside and the club’s two Gibraltar-based majority shareholders.

Garside, who claims he has put £570,000 of his money into the club since 2005, has decided to call in his directors’ loans, which has the effect of winding up the club.

Rod Findlay, the club’s chief executive, says the club have already prepared a survival plan and will hold a pledge meeting in the next two weeks to gauge the level of support from fans and sponsors.

The club, who stayed in the Championship by winning their last match of the season, look certain to be deducted nine points as a result of breaching the RFL’s insolvency regulations and, if the points are taken from this year’s total, they will be automatically relegated.

That would not necessarily mean a reprieve for Leigh, who were relegated on the final day of the season, with the League likely to consider reducing the division to a more workable ten teams.

‘‘That would be a decision for the RFL board of directors,’’ said RFL communications manager Craig Spence.