The controversial businessman on Thursday completed making his bid for the club and is now awaiting a telephone call.

And he has pledged to offer the players a £140,000 bonus if they avoiod relegation . . . if he takes control of the football club in the next few days.

Mr Batchelor told Chad: "The Football League sponsorship money (around £280,000 a year) is something I have not budgeted for. I have budgeted for being in the Conference and a lower level of income.

"So if we stay in the Football League I will give 50% of this money to the players as a bonus . . . an incentive if you like.

"There will be no cost to the club as I have not budgeted for this money and if it helps to keep us in the League, so much the better.

"I have always said that being in the League would make my job so much easier, if I take over.

"The money cane be shared according to the number of matches they have played."

He made a surprise move to buy club on Wednesday - as exclusively reported by Chad - after appearing to be part of the Derry consortium which has already agreed a takeover deal with Keith Haslam.

The consortium - which has now axed the former York City owner from its plans - is meeting Stags owner Keith Haslam on Thursday afternoon.

• Batchelor axed by Stags takeover consortium

It is thought that the group - James Derry and Mansfield businessmen and lifelong Stags fans Steve Hymas and Andy Sutton - may try to renegotiate the terms of their agreement.

Just a week ago Stags chief executive Stephen Booth announced to fans that the Derry consortium was 'effectively in control' of the football club, but then it emerged that the group said it only received the paperwork involved in the deal over the Easter holiday.

On Thursday lunchtime Mr Batchelor told Chad: "I am there if the football club wants me. They have everything they need from me.

"But if anyone else wants to buy the club, then fair enough. I understand that Keith (Haslam) has got to see other people.

"But if I am successful then I would welcome anyone to join me who wants to do things at this football club."

On Wednesday, as Chad exclusively revealed, there was a confrontation between Mr Batchelor and Mr Hymas at Field Mill following the secret takeover talks involving Mr Batchelor, Mr Haslam and Mr Booth.

M Hymas told Chad: "We don't need people like him at the club and in our consortium. He did not tell us about this meeting, he has acted in an underhand way and I have told him.

"He has gone behind our backs to meet Keith (Haslam) and Stephen (Booth). We are not prepared to have him in our consortium. There is no chance that he will be part of our group if we take over."

But on Thursday Mr Batchelor replied: "The reason I went to see Keith (Haslam) without telling the consortium was because I did not think it would have an impact on their situation.

"From my discussions I thought they were now wanting to wait until the end of the season.

"But they are not excluded from what I am doing and everything would have been fine before the confrontation. Now I cannot work with Steve (Hymas), but if the others want to work with me then fine.

"I will not work with people who threaten me and I will not be intimidated by threats in a car park. That has just made me more determined than ever.

"I am not doing this for a laugh. I want to keep the club in the Football League as that is clearly a better place to start from than the Conference."

He added that he wanted to take over the club now while there was still a chance of avoiding relegation.

"It is deeply frustrating to see people sit by and watch this club slide towards the Conference," he told Chad, admitting that he had looked at buying into several football clubs recently.

Mr Batchelor, who ended an interest in Stcokport a while ago, said he had enquired about the situations at Rotherham, Chester and Macclesfield.

"Yes, I am in the market for a football club. I am a football fan and will give it 100%.

"There are commercial opportunities in football that haven't been exploited yet and that is why I think I can make a go of it.

"People think a lot about football, but they have to think more laterally.

"If I can prove to people that I can help and do this takeover before accepting relegation, that has to be a positive for the club."

More to follow on this story