No contact from Rangers consortium

Shareholders were targeted early last week by the consortium, asking if they were prepared to sell up in a letter sent out by Birmingham-based accountants Law & Co, with the club thought to have debts in the region of £200,000.

The club - upon hearing the news - challenged them to come forward, if they could prove they had the financial muscle to make a serious bid. That challenge has so far gone unheeded.

Rangers' are unlikely to cease to exist either way, with the asset of their home ground still available to them, which is worth a significant sum in development value.

Downing will not let the talk cast another cloud over Marston Road, but is not impressed.

He said: "There has been no contact at all from this so-called consortium who want to take over the club. All the shareholders are a bit cross, because they haven't come forward. It's just not funny is it?

"Over the last few months, the club has gone through enough, without this sort of nonsense. We are just there sitting there waiting and it's week two - with no response.

"All the club have to say to these people is 'come forward, make yourself available and, if it is a good deal, we will listen with open ears.' So far it has all been a false alarm."

The chaos that engulfed Rangers in December seems to have died down this month, with not one player leaving since the mass exodus that followed financial cuts before Christmas.

If these backers are serious, they will be welcomed, but if - as is increasingly suspected - that is not the case, Downing knows the club will continue to survive.

He added: "It is business as usual, as far as the club is concerned. Until this consortium can prove to us that they for real, we will continue to run the club in the best interests of Stafford Rangers.

"We have made positive strides in recent weeks and the outlook is certainly a lot brighter."