THE new owners of Southend United face another agonising eight-week wait as Southend Council and Ron Martin attempt to sign-off on a deal to allow the takeover to be completed.

In December, Southend United confirmed that contracts were exchanged between former chairman Ron Martin and the consortium set to take control of the Shrimpers - led by Australian businessman Justin Rees.

However, the deal relied upon Southend Council agreeing terms with Mr Martin for the 500 homes proposed for the Roots Hall stadium to be moved to Fossetts Farm.

As part of the takeover, Southend United will stay at Roots Hall and the grand total of homes at the Fossetts Farm site, near Waitrose in Southend, will increase to 1,400 homes.

Southend Council, which helped seal the deal with Mr Martin and the new consortium has repeatedly said it will ensure a “smooth path for the club”, and now council leader Tony Cox is confident the deal will be signed of in eight weeks time.

However, the club has been left in limbo in the meantime as the consortium wait to official take control of the club.

Mr Cox said: “We are looking to move things on, in about six to eight weeks it will be done.

“There were draft terms agreed subject to due diligence which allowed the sale of the club to complete on December 23.

“In January, was the scope of works in terms of what the due diligence would look like, because we had to go out and get those prices and costs of everything.

“It is now concluding in six to eight weeks.

“We know how important it is and the urgency of it, but by all accounts the last of Fossetts took over a year to due all the due diligence so we are doing it at speed.

“But I completely get the fans, and that is why we are doing everything at speed.”

Southend United currently sit 20th in the National League table, after receiving a 10-point deduction earlier in the season.