JIM Rushe is close to buying back Northwich Victoria’s home ground.

The club’s owner last night told supporters his consortium had been issued contracts by the receivers to complete the deal.

They will pay £1.5m for the Marston’s Arena.

“We are 85 per cent of the way to having that funding secured,” he revealed.

“I don’t know how long it will take to complete things from here but I am confident the club will own it’s own stadium again soon.”

He also gave a glimpse into how the arrangement would work.

A new holding company would act as the club’s landlord, with Northwich Victoria Football Club (2004) Limited as a tenant.

However, businessmen from Rushe’s group would sit on the board of both companies.

“People are coming in to help the club,” he said.

“They also have an interest in the ground and we’ve discussed how we could make it work.

“The sums we have done so far do stack up, we can support a Blue Square Premier club here providing we exploit the income streams properly “As far as I’m concerned the club should be sustainable and it could be if it owns the ground, which it will do soon.”

Deloitte Touche, who seized the nine-acre Wincham site of previous landlords Beaconet Limited in October, have accepted Rushe’s offer following talks with a number of interested parties.

The finance specialists were hired by Clydesdale Bank to recover more than £1m in debts owed by Beaconet, the company of former Vics chairman Mike Connett.

Rushe added that a petition to wind up the club by HM Revenue and Customs, due to be heard in the High Court later this month, was likely to be adjourned until a deal for the stadium was complete.

“I’ve spoken to the tax man already,” he said.

“He is happy for a later date for the case because the way in which we pay back the debt is linked to us getting the ground back.”