Last Saturday Stags chief executive Stephen Booth represented the club at the Conference annual meeting at the Hilton Hotel in Blackpool.

But the Stags did not officially leave the League until earlier this week, at its annual meeting in Portugal where it is thought owner Keith Haslam attended.

Meanwhile, rumours persisted on Friday that Haslam was close to finally completing the protracted sale of the club.

It is known that Glapwell chairman Colin Hancock and a separate group of local businessmen are in negotiations to buy the club.

An interest from overseas and offers from former York City owner John Batchelor now appear to be the outsiders in the race to buy the club.

On Thursday Stags chairman and Mansfield mayor Tony Egginton talked about the possibility of him remaining at Field Mill under new owners.

And Chad understands that chief executive Stephen Booth may also be asked by one of the takeover parties to stay at the club, if their takeover is successful.

The club has still to announce season ticket details for next season, which has added to the takeover rumours.

And on Thursday manager Paul Holland - still to find out if he will be in charge next season - admitted that the ownership saga was delaying preparations for next season on the playing side.

He told Chad: "We are now four to six weeks behind every club in the Conference. The players, or should that be player at the moment, are due back in for pre-season training on 2nd July.

"At the moment we'll be lucky to field a five-a-side team, let alone 11!

"If I was a player I would want to be there for the first day of pre-season training at my club. And, as a manager, you would want to have your full squad together for pre-season training and that clearly is not going to happen now.

"If we did sign someone we don't have a secretary to sort it out at the moment so I would have to do the paperwork myself or Stephen Booth."