Pressure group Stags Fans For Change (SFFC) said on Friday that supporters were worried the continuing uncertainty would affect manager Billy Dearden's plans.

The group, which led a high profile campaign to remove Stags owner Keith Haslam, said: "Already this season bigger clubs have been sold and new owners installed since the announcement was made regarding the sale of Mansfield Town to the James Derry consortium.

• Stags takeover may be concluded next week

"The fans who are the lifeblood of this club deserve to be told the whole truth.

"The optimism with which the original announcement was met, the furthering of that optimism by the introduction of real fans as executive directors is undermined by this ongoing saga.

"We call on James Derry to tell the fans what the expected timescale is and to explain fully and transparently the exact details of the delay."

On 5th October Mr Derry and Mr Haslam announced that they had agreed a deal for the club to change hands.

• Mansfield Town FC takeover

But problems then followed as the Football League insisted that the takeover plans be altered.

• Delay in Stags takeover

Mr Derry's consortium had wanted to form its own company and just take over the trading rights for the football club - leaving Mr Haslam to retain Field Mill and any associated land. However, now the consortium is trying to buy the football club, with a 10-year lease to rent Field Mill from Mr Haslam. Ownership of the stadium would be transferred to Mr Haslam from the football club.

Mr Derry and his consortium have again been meeting talking to Mr Haslam this week and Chad also revealed that the takeover was further complicated by worries over a grant given to the club to redevelop Field Mill.

• Stags takeover consortium aware of grant worries

The full SFFC statement reads:

"It is obvious from comments in the stands, on the various message boards and when discussing the Stags in any situation, that fans are growing more and more concerned by the delay in the purchase of Mansfield Town Football Club.

"As a fans organisation the SFFC welcomed the announcement of a takeover, reflecting the mood of the fans. As a fans organisation we now feel it is appropriate to speak up for the concerns those same fans are now expressing.

"Mr Derry said in August that he hoped the deal was only a week away. It is now 16th November and we still have no idea when this deal will be concluded, indeed many are beginning to believe it never will be.

"We are approaching the January transfer window, it was at this time last year that rumours of the sale of Richard Barker began to circulate. Though initially denied this became a reality just weeks later.

"We have a number of players on one-year contracts, with no clear indication of when there will be a regime change at Mansfield Town Football Club, will some of those players begin to think about their own futures rather than that of the club we all support?

"We cannot in our position afford to lose our most experienced and higher quality players to clubs with a more assured future. Clubs in all likelihood we will be playing in the second half of the season.

"We have seen again this week a long list of players reporting to the treament room, how can we expect to add to a depleted squad with the uncertainty surrounding our club?

"We hoped to see activity on the recruitment front before now, loan players with a view to purchase in the January window. The lack of clarity of the ownership of Mansfield Town is not going to encourage players to come here. Billy Dearden will have his hands tied financially until a new oner is in place.

"Promises made to Billy about funds, eg from the Coke transfer, presumably now cannot happen. We would assume the same will apply to the extra income from FA Cup games and TV fees. Fans are highly suspicious of the destination of what will be substantial sums of money from this cup run.

"The optimism with which the original announcement was met, the furthering of that optimism by the introduction of real fans as executive directors, both on the field and off, it is undermined by this ongoing saga.

"We call on James Derry to tell the fans what the expected timescale is and to explain fully and transparently the exact details of the delay. It is no longer sufficient to say "It's with the lawyers" or "When the Football League have finished with their enquiries".

"Already this season bigger clubs have been sold and new owners installed since the announcement was made regarding the sale of Mansfield Town Football Club to the James Derry consortium. The fans who are the lifeblood of this club deserve to be told the whole truth."