ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -The Minnesota Fighting Saints , gave up the ghost Saturday, ending a long and determined financial fight for survival as a World Hockey Association franchise.

“It comes down to this,” said Glen Sonmor, general manager since the club's birth four years ago. “Everything went down the tubes this morning.”

However, in Toronto the league office refused to allow the club to fold, saying instead the franchise has been temporarily suspended.

WHA Executive Vice President Bud Poile announced the league position by reading an official league statement from Ben Hatskin, the league's chief executive officer.

“Mr. Hatskin announced today that the league office has been informed that the Minnesota Fighting saints have temporarily suspended operations. Negotiations are continuing for the sale of the club.”

Poile refused to make any further comment on the matter.

However, another league official said the temporary suspension gives the WHA time to find new owners. If the team had folded, then there would be no way of selling the franchise. Wayne Belisle, long the principal figure in the battle to keep the club from folding or moving out of St. Paul, also conceded defeat.

A dispersal raft will be held to assign Saints players to other clubs. Sonmor said Coach Harry Neale already has a new job and would be coaching the New England Whalers of the WHA Saturday night.

Ticket Manager Mark Fitzgerald went to the St. Paul Civic Arena and closed the club's ticket office. “I've been told to close the ticket office, and that the team has folded,” Fitzgerald said.

The collapse became apparent when team players failed to make a scheduled flight to Cincinnati for a game Saturday night. Instead, the Houston Aeros were to play at Cincinnati.

Wayne Connelly, a veteran member of the team, said players took an airport vote and decided not to take the flight.

It was reported Friday that Don Reagan, a North St. Paul bus company and bank executive, had offered to buy the title of the Saints franchise from Jock Irvine of White Bear Lake, Minn. That offer was still said to be under consideration Friday night, but Irvine was out of town.

Reagan indicated there appeared to be little interest in his bid.

Belisle met with players Fri-. day night and said the team would fly to Cincinnati Saturday morning and would return to St. Paul to play Houston Sunday night. Belisle said he did not know where the money would come from to get the team to Cincinnati and back He said he had “a couple of ways' to get it done.

Despite their missed paychecks, most players had indicated Friday night they were willing to continue with an understanding they'd be paid one game at a time.

Connelly said Saturday the players came to realize that even if they played the weekend games on that plan, negotiators for sale of the franchise wouldn't be able to seal the transaction by Monday.

Previously, each time a payroll was missed, players agreed to stay with the team with the hope Belisle could work out financial details.

Sonmor said Saturday morning he and Belisle “raced to the airport stuffing money into envelopes to pay the players their salary for one game.

“We got to the airport and it was a scene like the Keystone cops,'' the general manager said. He confirmed the players took a vote at the airport and decided not to make the trip.

Several of the club's top players didn't even show up at the airport, Sonmor said. They included high-scoring Bill Walton, Dave Keon, goalie John Garrett and Paul Holmgren.

Sonmor said a dispersal draft would be held within the WHA the next day or two to assign players to other league clubs. However, he said Walton, apparently bound for Vancouver of the National Hockey League, and Holmgren, who has talked to the Philadelphia Flyers, would probably be given their release.