Maison key figure in takeover

Halesowen manager Morell Maison is the main player in the proposed takeover of the club, it has been revealed.

Chairman Nigel Pitt has confirmed that Maison is the frontman of a consortium that is poised to take over the British Gas Business League club this month.

And Pitt has also confirmed he will stay on as chairman despite plans by the new Maison-run group to shake up the board of directors at The Grove.

Pitt and Maison were locked in talks yesterday as they tried to thrash out the final details of the takeover, which has been on the cards since Maison was installed as manager last month in succession to Martin O’Connor.

And Pitt is hoping to have the final wording of the handover documents completed soon. He said: “I have been talking to Morell about how he wants to go about structuring things and hopefully we will be in a position to announce something further in the next few days.

“Morell is going to be the figurehead for the new buyers and we will let everyone know as soon as we have finalised the plans for how things are going to run.

“There have been a lot of talks between Morell and myself and we are getting closer to having things finalised.”

The discussions have also led to a partial change of mind for Pitt, who had announced his intention to stand down as chairman at the end of the season.

The long-serving Pitt will sell his controlling share in the club to Maison’s group and he intends to go through with his plans to spend more time at his holiday home in Cyprus.

But he and fellow director Mark Serrell are now set to be handed roles in the new-look administrative team.

Pitt said: “There will be a new board when the takeover happens but Mark and myself will be staying on.

“I will still be chairman and Mark will be financial advisor to the new board.”

On the pitch Maison’s overhaul of the Yeltz squad continued apace this week, as did the influx of international talent to The Grove.

The signing of french midfielder Guy Lopez last Friday was followed up at the end of this week with the arrival of two Portuguese nationals – including an international.

Striker Eldon Maquemba, who boasts one full cap for Angola, was snapped up from Swedish side Boden with his international clearance arriving in time for today’s trip to Swindon Supermarine.

And he was followed by 27-year-old Portuguese defender Hugo Nunes Cuelho, who has spent most of his career in his homeland but played most recently in the South China League.