Mansfield have confirmed the signings of defender John Dempster and midfielder Jamie Hand. Dempster, 29, had a three month loan spell at Field Mill last season, while Hand, 28, quit Hayes and Yeading after accusing the club of excessive punishment over a red card. Woking have signed defender Brett Johnson from Wimbledon. The 26 year old was transfer listed earlier in the summer.
Boston owner David Newton says the club was a 'disaster zone' when he took over in 2007. The Pilgrims had debts of £3million and were on the verge of liquidation. Now, Newton says the club is still losing money but is almost running on an even keel after reporting losses of £190,000 for the 10/11 season, and they have cut the playing budget and the wages of manager Jason Lee for the coming season.
Newport manager Justin Edinburgh is in negotiation over a new contract but wants assurances on the playing budget before committing to a new deal. The former Rushden boss is reported to want three more signings this summer but currently only has the money for one. In their friendly with Evesham yesterday they fielded ex-Bull Sam Gwynne for just 17 minutes as a trialist.
Port Vale's takeover is still being held up by issues with the paperwork. Bidder Keith Ryder says he has agreed to all the changes the Football League want to the contracts, and that final approval is imminent.