Former Shots Chairman Claims Mansfield Takeover

Last updated : 22 June 2008 By Stray Shots Team
Colin Hancock: Former AFC Chairman
Glapwell-born dentist Dr Colin Hancock, former Chairman at Aldershot FC revealed to 100-guests at a function at the Mansfield Civic Centre on Saturday night, that controversial Mansfield Town owner Keith Haslam, has agreed to sell the club to him.

Hancock - who took over as Chairman of non-league football club Glapwell last year with ambitions to lead the club into the Unibond League - has told www.chad.co.uk that the deal involves the purchase of the club and Field Mill and also that he will join the club immediately as an executive director ahead of an official handover.

Although he remained tight lipped over the figures involved, the forer Shots Chairman wanted to reassured sceptical fans - who have been left disappointed in the past year following the collapse of another takeover "deal" - that his deal would go through and that he would not have gone public had he felt the deal would not go through.

He said, "I was literally pulling into the car park here (at the Civic Centre) when I got the call from Keith. I'm going to go in straight away because the place needs tidying up."

Dr Hancock first shot to prominence earlier this year when he rang into a BBC Radio Nottingham football phone in to reveal he had funds in place financially back Notts County. He told them that he was part of a group which was involved in serious negotiations, but says this waned when the supporters trust made it clear it wanted to own County.

Then it emerged that he was pursuing a possible buyout offer at Field Mill.

Speaking on the new deal Hancock said, "I am an honourable man. I would not do anything to adversely affect a deal happening at Mansfield. I just want to see the club progress.

"When I could not go any further with Notts, the logical thing to do seemed to be to look closer to where I was born and to Mansfield, which also needs help."

Mansfield Chief Executive Stephen Booth, told the website today that a statement is expected to be released lon Sunday regarding the future of the Blue Square Premier club, but after none was forthcoming, the site contacted him again only to be told that there would be "no comment" until the press release had been issued.

For more on this ongoing story visit the link above.