COLUMN: It's as you were at the Proact when it comes to takeover

That goes for everyone – from the board to the management team, the players, catering staff, receptionists, stewards, supporters and even us in the media.

Pessimistic, frustrated noises have seeped out of the Proact again this week, regarding the deal that we’re told has been agreed for the club.

But the door is obviously still open to the Chinese firm, because the last word on the matter, on the official club website, was that talks are ongoing.

Chesterfield are, according to their silence, evidently still amenable to this potential regime change.

It’s a subject that appears to be causing a great deal of consternation among supporters, who quite understandably and justifiably, want to know what the future holds for their club.

I stand by my belief that it would be best for all concerned to get things sorted during the transfer window, but there could be any number of reasons why things haven’t progressed as yet.

Of course, the longer things drag on the more sceptical Town fans will become.

You can’t blame them, not when they follow a club where, not so long ago, a human being was quiet literally invented and given the name James Higgins.

The ball might well be in the Chinese party’s court, but they’re under no obligation to send it back.

If they’re not ready to proceed, they won’t proceed.

If they are ready to proceed, they’ll procede.

In either case, there’s not a fat lot Chesterfield can do about it.

Deadlines for deposits and press statements are unlikely to get things moving or put the pressure on because of one simple fact – Dave Allen wants to sell.

He must do, otherwise this bid wouldn’t have been considered or ever have got near the news page of chesterfield-fc.co.uk

This Chinese firm might want to buy, they might not, but they certainly don’t have to, not when others are bound to come up for sale.

In that respect, they hold a strong hand.

If Mr Allen does indeed want to part company with CFC 2001 Ltd then he, like the rest of us, will just have to play the waiting game.

It’s likely that a shrewd businessman like the casino magnate will soon enough learn if these potential buyers are tyre kickers or not and he’ll act accordingly.

That’s when we’ll get our official statement.

Until that happens, life and football goes on at Sheffield Road.

A takeover certainly falls into the category of things Jack Lester and his squad cannot control, so they’re busy getting on with their jobs.

A 2-0 victory over a highly talented league leading Luton Town showed that.

The board must carry on doing their job, and on the evidence of the business Lester has been able to do in January thus far, they are doing.

Lining up a ‘huge’ summer concert is another good sign that they’re not sitting around waiting for a deposit to land.

Supporters are certainly still doing their job – the atmosphere on Saturday was fantastic and Lester was keen to point out after the match how important it was.

The manager went to great length to inform the media that it wasn’t just getting behind the team for 90 minutes that helped, it was the increase in volume at a critical point in the game that lifted the players when they had lost a little bit of energy.

Saturday was another one of those days, a bit like the wins over Exeter, Forest Green Rovers and Barnet, when we’re all reminded of how good things could be once again at the Proact Stadium.

Lester’s players have proved they’re a match for anyone in the league, but they’re yet to prove they can do it on a consistent basis.

There’s a real opportunity here for them to become heroes by putting a run together, keeping the club in League Two and then kicking on next season.

Whether or not they do so representing brand new owners, we’ll have to wait and see.

What is arguably more important is that everyone gets their heads down, pulls together and gives Lester every chance of achieving his first objective as a football manager – survival.

That objective won’t change, new regime or no new regime.

It’s as you were.