Sale for Notts County agreed

Notts County Football Club have confirmed that current owner Ray Trew has agreed to sell the club to, a local businessman, Alan Hardy.

Talks with a number of prospective buyers had been held in recent months. Following these discussions Ray Trew feels that a deal with Alan Hardy would be the best choice for all parties involved, further talks will now take place in order to complete the transfer of ownership.

Trew took over the club in February 2010 when Notts County were on the brink of going into administration. In a statement outgoing owner, Alan Trew, said "It has been one of the hardest tasks of my time at Meadow Lane to find a successor to my tenure of the club, but I feel that in Alan Hardy the Notts County fans will have found someone who they can get behind and believe in to usher in a new era that I hope will bring success and happiness for all involved."

He added "In handing over the reins of this great club, I am comfortable in saying that I have always given my all to the betterment of the World's Oldest Football League Club and whilst things haven't always gone as I would have liked, I have enjoyed some incredibly memorable moments during my time at Meadow Lane and leave the club feeling incredibly proud of the fact that the fans still have a club that they can believe in and support on to bigger and better things in the future."

Trew said that he wanted to "thank everyone who has played any part in the running of Notts County during my time at the club, there are far too many to name, but I hope that they know how much I appreciate the hard work and commitment that they put in to ensure that Notts battled through thick and thin over the years that I was at the helm."

 Alan Hardy said that "I am delighted to confirm that I have reached an agreement with Ray Trew to purchase Notts County Football Club."

 He added "There is still a considerable amount of work to be undertaken in the coming days and together with my team, we will be working around the clock to conclude our agreement and make a more formal announcement in the near future. I wish to emphasise my passion, desire and commitment to all Notts County supporters to drive this club forward."

JC