Stanley chief executive Rob Heys says the two-year battle over who owns the club is now close to an end.

The settlement between the three parties is now in the hands of their solicitors and it’s hoped it will be finalised in the next few days.

In the last few weeks, the issue has come to a head due to the financial problems at the club.

Heys said that former chairman Eric Whalley has verbally agreed a settlement to relinquish his shares in the club.

Managing Director Dave O’Neill, who never completed the deal to buy the shares off Whalley two years ago but has put money into the club, has also agreed to a deal.

And chairman Ilyas Khan, who helped pay off the majority of the £306,000 tax bill which almost forced the club out of extinction in 2009, is confident it will all be settled soon to avoid any threat of administration.

It’s hoped the solictors will give the go-ahead and the deal will be signed over the next few days and then there are plans for a new share issue at Stanley.

"It’s in the hands of the solicitors but we don’t want to say anything about the deal until it is completed," said Heys. "We will then release a full statement. We had a meeting on Wednesday and now we just hope it is completed soon and we can see no reason why it won’t be."

It’s hoped then the onus can be back on the pitch – where the Reds hope to sign up several players whose contracts are up at the end of the season.

There are already rumblings of other clubs interested in the likes of Terry Gornell and Jimmy Ryan and Heys admitted: "There will always be these kind of rumours flying around and there is probably some truth in some of them and it is frustrating for us. But once the ownership is settled we can then concentrate on football matters and start putting plans for the rest of the season and next season into action.

"Everyone has been affected by the off-the-field problems in the last few weeks more than ever. Nobody at the club has been paid in full for last month and yet the players have continued to do the business on the pitch with 13 points taken from a possible 15.

"And behind the scenes the club staff have got on with their jobs, continuing to come in and keep the club running despite all that has been going on.

"It has been a really difficult few weeks but everyone at the club has pulled together and have really done Accrington Stanley proud. They deserve a swift resolution to this now.

"Hopefully by next week there will be some definite news and we can finally move on."