FORMER AFC Totton committee member Nick Ferguson is understood to be head of the three-strong consortium interested in taking over crisis club Bashley.

The Hayling-based businessman spent a brief five-week stint helping the Stags during pre-season and is set to be joined by Graham and Angela Speechley-Price, who both left Totton along with Ferguson in August, writes Andy Mitchell.

Bash chairman Mike Cranidge politely declined to comment on the trio's prospective involvement but did confirm ongoing talks with a party of three people “experienced at a Southern League level” should come to a conclusion by the end of the week.

The members-owned club last week passed a resolution to fold “unless adequate funding is forthcoming and executive vacancies filled” by April 30, while the deadline for pulling out of next season’s Southern League passes at the end of this month.

Cranidge told the (Bournemouth) Daily Echo: “We hope to have more information in the coming days but we’re going to have to make a decision by the end of this week because time is of the essence.

“Negotiations are at an advanced stage. We are getting down to the finer details now so hope to have something to report very soon.”

Ferguson was unavailable for comment when contacted by the (Bournemouth) Daily Echo this morning.

The New Forest outfit host Weymouth in the Southern League Premier Division tomorrow.