JOHN McGinlay has warned of the hard work ahead for Football Ventures if their takeover gets the go-ahead this week.

Talk was again upbeat at the University of Bolton Stadium yesterday that a deal was “imminent” – and with Wanderers able to call on a strong line-up to face Bradford, there are finally some signs of positivity around the Wanderers fanbase.

“It’s so badly needed. It’s the words everyone has been waiting for,” said the former Scotland international on TalkSport.

“They need players very quickly. We’re 11 days out from the start of the season and there needs to be a rapid turnaround.

“You look upon it and we’ve not even sold a season ticket yet. So to get players in is the number one aim, I’d imagine, and then secondly try and get organised off the park as well.

“It is going to be a very hard task to hit the ground running. Starting off on minus 12 points with maybe 20 players coming through the door in a very quick period, it’s going to be a difficult one.”

The club administration process has currently lasted 10 weeks – still relatively swift in the grand scheme of things - but the proximity of the new season has left the EFL asking questions of administrators about how quickly the deal can be wrapped up.

It is understood creditors have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the administrator’s proposals for the club, which has been right on the verge of sale for a few weeks.

All focus then shifted towards the hotel, with Football Ventures keen to purchase both companies concurrently.

The delay has caused issues across the board and no shortage of anxiety around the town. But McGinlay hopes there could be better times around the corner.

“People have been so frustrated. It seems to have dragged on through the summer when we thought there would be a quick conclusion and we’d have started to get organised a lot earlier than this.

“It hasn’t happened but people are just waiting on the word. Whoever takes over, whoever gets the club going again the supporters need something to grasp. They need a bit of daylight and to see the season starting in 11 days without playing in a competitive match up to now, it’s going to be a difficult task.”