THE sound of silence from Field Mill right now is so loud it is hurting my ears.
What the hell is going on? As per usual the fans are being treated like mushrooms.
Every week we get more and more promises of a sale, more and more ‘deadlines’ and more and more statements that prove to be as wide of the mark as some of Stags’ finishing last season.
Mixed messages continue to confuse and make you wonder why the lot of them can’t get round the same table and thrash something out without us being fed a continual stream of half-truths and false dawns.
In the past we have seen grand announcements from owner Keith Haslam (I want to sell, I definitely want to sell, I still want to sell), James Derry (I have bought it), and John Batchelor (I have bought it – an announcement will definitely happen on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday).
In the last week alone we have heard stories that Colin Hancock from Glapwell looks to be the preferred buyer and that John Batchelor is in the driving seat.
Last Thursday chief executive Stephen Booth said on national radio that he was hopeful the club would be sold ‘within a few days’, and on Friday he said that, after another meeting that day, he expected Keith Haslam to give ‘a response to Friday’s takeover proposal within 72 hours’
Mansfield Mayor and Stags chairman Tony Egginton said on Monday morning that an announcement on the takeover saga was expected ‘today’.
Well, here we are on Thursday afternoon and we have heard not a sausage from the club.
And, incredibly, after all the talk of an imminent takeover by all parties concerned bar one, we had Mr Haslam himself telling the Guardian, when asked about a story concerning Alex John-Baptiste’s agent looking for a quick sale for his client ahead of the takeover: ‘If he feels a takeover is taking place in the next day or so, he doesn’t have a clue.’
Aboslutely unbelievable!
Paul Holland’s hopes of forward planning are left in a hugely damaging limbo as current players he probably wants to hang on to, or make offers to, or new players he would like to recruit all continue to look elsewhere for next season’s employment.
It has been damaging enough to the football club that the takeover dragged on through the season itself and resulted in the inevitable. But if it drags through the summer too you start to wonder about the future of the club’s existence.
Those who have said all along that Keith Haslam has never really wanted to sell the club must be feeling smugly happy with themselves right now for there is nothing that can argue with their view.
The longer he keeps his iron grip on Mansfield Town, the angrier fans are becoming. It is clear that John Batchelor will not receive any support from fans if he takes over the reins either.
So everyone will be keeping their fingers crossed that Mr Hancock, the Aussies or some mysterious ‘other’ bidder can come up trumps as soon as possible.
If Stags can sort it now, then I can see season tickets shifting and business coming on board and, coupled, with a decent start to the season, it could be a campaign to remember.
If the situation drags on further it could be a campaign to forget. Or even the last ever.
