Yeovil Town interim chairman Stuart Robins has confirmed that “a third party” is in talks with owner Martin Hellier to complete a takeover.
In a statement posted on the club’s social media ahead of the final match of the season at Aldershot Town on Monday, Robins said there was “still a lot to be done” to complete the deal.
He said: “As many of you know, we have been trying diligently to get new ownership and investment in to the club. The Hellier Group and a third party have been working behind-the-scenes to try and make that happen.
“There is a lot of work which has been going on and still a lot to be done, but there has been an awful lot of goodwill on both sides. As soon as I am in a position to give you a further update I will. Everybody is working hard to make this happen as soon as they can.”
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Jack Killah ahead of kick-off, the interim chairman added that the Hellier Group had entered in to “an exclusive arrangement” with the unnamed third party.
He said: “We have had quite a number of parties that have been interested in investing in the club, and we felt this party was the best fit for the long-term sustainability of the club. The agreement is that neither party will talk to anyone else and the Heads of Agreement says that, unless something unforseen happens a takeover of the club will take place.
“I cannot give you a precise date but we are working to do it as quickly as we possibly can. We have been working with (manager Mark Cooper) to see what we need to do budget-wise next year to be more competitive than we have this year. Every party understands that speed is of the essence, but there is nothing anyone will do to slow things down.”
Asked whether he hoped that the manager could start focusing on renewing players contracts in the coming weeks, Robins added: “I have been in business long enough to say ‘it is never done until it is done’, but we are working hard to get this completed as soon as we possibly can.”
The club director, who took over the reins at Huish Park following the owners’ decision to step down as chairman a month ago, concluded his statement on the club’s official social media by thanking the club’s staff, Cooper and his coaching team, and the players for securing a place in the National League Premier Division for next season.
He added: “Most importantly I would like to thank all the fans. The atmosphere you create at Huish Park is just incredible and the away support we have is fantastic. You have no idea how much it is appreciated by the club, the players and of course myself. I hope you have a great summer and I am looking forward to seeing you all again when we kick off in August with our next campaign.“