Chris DUNLAVY

THERE’S a general rule of thumb when it comes to the purchase of football clubs: the longer things drag on, and the more noise you hear, the less likely a takeover becomes.
Little wonder, then, that Southend supporters are nervous. A deal to sell the club to COSU, a consortium led by Australian businessman Justin Rees, has been in the works since what seems like the Triassic Period.
Bond demands. Winding-up orders. Creditors coming out of the woodwork. You name the obstacle, Southend have hit it, leaving a resolution both tantalisingly close and agonisingly out o...