The unpredictable John Batchelor still insists that he is the front runner as Stags owner Keith Haslam continues his takeover negotiations with various parties.

And he reacted angrily today to comments from the mayor, which questioned the seriousness of his bid.

Batchelor told Chad: "If the mayor is going to stand in the way of this football club moving forward, then perhaps the club could put up a candidate against him at the next election?

"If I am in charge I will let the fans decide. Who knows, perhaps Sammy the Stag will run against Tony Egginton.

"It happened at Hartlepool and look what happened there. The monkey was elected!"

Batchelor added: "I object to him saying my bid is not serious; it very much is and I remain confident it will be the winning bid."

Egginton later clarified his comments against the would-be owner, saying: "Whoever is the new owner has got to have the credibility or desire to get Mansfield Town FC back in the Football League.

"I was questioning the calibre of person behind Batchelor's bid, not the bid itself.

"He would have a hard job to win the fans over."

• Mansfield Town to be sold with a few days - Booth

On Thursday evening chief executive Stephen Booth, brought to the club in December to broker a sale, told national radio station 5 Live: "I am hopeful that within the next few days that we may be able to announce that the club has been sold. I can only remain cautiously optimisitic."