Bradford City chairman Geoffrey Richmond will come face to face with City fans tonight for the first time since the scale of the club's financial crisis emerged.

Mr Richmond will sit alongside Gordon Taylor, of the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), to explain his decision to buy the club he placed into administration.

He will face an audience of supporters bitterly divided over the news. Mr Richmond, along with his consortium of Filtronic boss David Rhodes and his son Julian, announced at the weekend that they had struck a deal with the administrators Kroll Buchler Phillips. The administration will continue through July, during which time the club's creditors will be offered a deal to settle their debts.

If enough creditors agree and the Football League give their approval, City will then exit administration. Tonight, PFA chief Gordon Taylor is expected to explain the agreement that has been reached with the consortium to settle the contracts of the players fired in May.

During talks at the PFA's Manchester headquarters last week, the consortium agreed to honour the contracts of those players who wish to return. It is understood the PFA will pay their wages until the takeover is complete.

The PFA had been the most outspoken critic of City's decision to sack 16 players - and insisted the club should be expelled from the League if the decision was not reversed.

Mr Richmond and Mr Taylor have also clashed in the past, including once on national radio over a proposed players' strike. Although the future of the club may have been secured, some fans have vowed to stay away if Mr Richmond remains at the helm.

Mike Harrison, a fan for almost 40 years who has attended more than 1,000 City games, said: "This episode has got me down and it has gone beyond supporting a football club. We are being asked to support a businessman and I am not sure I can do that any more."

Dave Pendleton, former editor of the City Gent fanzine, said: "There will be a lack of trust from many fans, but no doubt others will give him a standing ovation."

The Bradford City Supporters' Trust had been planning to hold its launch at Valley Parade tonight, but that has been postponed due to the fans' forum. Chris Hawkridge, trust chairman, said he had spoken to Mr Richmond about the clash.

"He was very apologetic and said he was not aware of our meeting. He also said he was very supportive of the trust," said Mr Hawkridge.

The date of the meeting of the supporters' trust is due to be announced at tonight's fans forum, in the banqueting suite at Valley Parade at 8pm.