Comments by chief executive Stephen Booth and chairman Tony Egginton at last week's Stags Fans United (SFU) public meeting that the sale was 'close' seem to have re-fuelled the takeover speculation.

Fans commenting on supporters' websites believe that new owners will be in place by the end of June - with rumours placing Glapwell chairman Colin Hancock and a separate group of local businessmen as the two front runners.

Yesterday Egginton told Chad that meetings were ongoing and that he remained hopeful of a quick takeover 'to enable the club to move forward'.

And in answer to several e-mails he has received, the town's mayor stressed that he would be remaining at the club as chairman, at least until new owners are in place.

The delay in releasing season ticket details has also led to speculation that new owners might want their own price structure.

But this week Booth declined to comment, other than to issue two statements on the club's website relating to the Stags Fans United commercial boycott call and comments made by Mansfield solicitor Danny Phillips at last week's SFU public meeting.

Booth, in a swipe at the call by new fans' group Stags Fans United for supporters and businesses to boycott sponsorship and season tickets until new owners are in place, said in a statement posted on the club's official website on Tuesday: "The so called 'boycott' really does amaze me because, other than ASPL (who very generously provided sponsorship last season) and the Chad (who paid £4,000 plus VAT for ground advertising), our records show that none of the organisations mentioned have made any financial contribution to the club in the past two seasons, other than, for one or two, the purchase of season tickets and/or the occasional seat in the sponsors' lounge.

"I should like to add my own entries to the list as BA, Virgin Atlantic and Microsoft have indicated their unwillingness to provide the club with commercial income (with or without a change of ownership)."

However, the chief executive made no mention of the money from fans' groups - who instigated the boycott call - over the previous two seasons.

This has included a donation from the Ollerton Stags Supporters Club (OSSC) towards a waterhog, while the Stags Supporters Association (SSA) last season paid for the club to use training facilities at the John Fretwell Sporting Complex.

And Booth also hit back at comments made at the SFU meeting by Mansfield solicitor Danny Phillips, who last week revealed some details of a buyout bid he was previously involved in - and questioned whether Keith Haslam really wanted to sell the Stags and that the sale price was not £1, but £400,001.

In another statement posted on the club's website, Booth said: "Mr Phillips called me on the morning of 17th March 2008 and stated that he had £25,000 to invest in a takeover of the club.

"I put him in contact with the consortium which was, at the time, negotiating to purchase the majority shareholding in the club. He subsequently attended the match on the following Saturday as guest of the prospective buyers and was admitted to the boardroom.

"He is quite correct in stating he didn't sign a confidentiality agreement as the agreement in place covered all members of the consortium and thus if he chose to join said consortium, thereby being party to confidential information, he was bound by this agreement. As a lawyer I'm sure he fully appreciates this.

"Notwithstanding this, he has had no detailed discussions with me and, to my knowledge, has had no discussions whatsoever with Keith Haslam. I am therefore bewildered by his statements at last Monday's meeting - it would seem to be a case of either pure conjecture or 'a little knowledge is a dangerous thing'."