Assuming the revelations to emerge in the past couple of days are genuine, Horton is a man clearly hellbent on salvaging the Panthers ship before it sinks.

He clearly has the enthusiasm to lead Panthers away from their current plight, but whether he has the ability remains to be seen.

Actions speak considerably louder than words and the loss of club hero Hans Andersen is hardly a convincing start.

The Danish ace is one of the very best on a bike. A double Evening Telegraph Sports Awards winner in 2006, Andersen led from the front. A rider with bags of ability, a ruthless streak and some nerves of steel as displayed throughout that dramatic title charge.

Horton's wage bill might be considerably reduced by the departure of a star rider who both performs and earns handsomely, but the effect it will have simply cannot be positive.

Will supporters still be prepared to shell out £15 to watch a team already struggling to keep their heads above water on the track as well as off it? It's a crucial question.

Will Panthers be able to attract another rider of Andersen's calibre to lead the fight against the drop? The fear is not.

And will Horton be able to finance the final months of the season? Only time will tell.

It should not be forgotten amid the current acrimony that Horton has overseen a hugely successful period in club history.

Peterborough Speedway was on the brink of oblivion when he took charge from his brother Mick in May 2005 and the upturn in fortunes was staggering.

Panthers have since powered to a hat-trick of play-off finishes including their splendid Elite League title triumph of 2006 and Horton has financed the assembly of a class-packed asset base.

Horton has done plenty of talking and answered his fair share of difficult questions in the last few days, but it hasn't stopped a thread appearing on the club's official fans' forum asking: Do we need a new owner?

That's quite a question, but now it is time for Horton to ask himself the most important one of all – 'Can I turn the club around?'

If the answer is 'yes' then Horton will be wished every success.

If not, he may decide to hit the road with his head held high and be remembered as the man who turned the Panthers around, rather than the one who took the club down.

Mark Plummer
ET speedway writer