Stewards and police blocked his entrance to the Field Mill car park on the instructions of the club, who had said on Friday he would not be welcome.

• To listen to an interview with Batchelor as he tried to enter the ground, by Sky Sports' Dave Bracegirdle and Chad's Tim Morriss, click on the green play icon

Batchelor protested that he wanted to watch the match, the club he intends to own.

And he lashed out at Stags' chief executive Stephen Booth, whom he blames for the current impasse in his takeover talks.

Batchelor again said that he did not mind that the fans are against him, calling them 'fickle', and insisted that he is determined to complete an agreement with Stags owner Keith Haslam.

But after making his point to the stewards, police and waiting media, Batchelor drove off back to his Burnley home.

• Batchelor banned from Mansfield Town

However, he vowed to return next Saturday, for the home match against Rotherham, and pledged to 'try to watch every Mansfield match until I become the owner'.

The police told him they could not guarantee his safety outside the ground and asked him to move on.

And he suffered some abuse from fans entering the ground for the match, who made it clear that he is not wanted at Field Mill by supporters.

Safety officer Les Norman had told Chad they made the decision to ban the would-be owner because they could not guarantee his safety following incidents at the Macclesfield match a week earlier.

Twenty minutes into that match, police and stewards had to remove him from the Stags fans at Moss Rose 'for his own safety', after confrontations between the wannabe Stags owner and supporters - supporters angry at his high profile campaign to take over the club and rename it after fictional TV team Harchester United.

• Would-be Stags owner escorted from fans


• Confusion at Mill as Batchelor pays through turnstiles

Mr Batchelor had wanted access to the directors area this Saturday, saying that he wanted to avoid a confrontation with fans similiar to the much publicised furore at Macclesfield.

But when the unconventional Mr Batchelor was refused a hospitality ticket for the match against Shrewsbury, the controversial businessman insisted he would still go to the match and pay through the turnstiles.


He added: "The only reason I am being refused admittance is because of Stephen Booth. He knows I will fire him the moment I take over.

"Stephen Booth has been tasked with selling the club yet he is getting in the way."