BOB Jude's two-year reign in charge of crisis club Pontypool is almost over.

The new group bidding to take control of the club will get the official go-ahead within days.

Group spokesman Arthur Crane has confirmed that vital rights, such as the club name and colours, are now in their hands.

And a WRU official told the Argus that that being the case, and with the players and others backing the takeover, their rubber-stamping of the move is a mere formality.

But Crane says: "Until we have that in writing we are not counting our chickens.

"There have been so many twists and turns in the past two months and so many false dawns that we won't believe anything until we see it written down."

Meanwhile, Pontypool Premier Rugby Club Ltd., the Jude (pictured) company in control at Pontypool Park at the moment, will not be going into voluntary liquidation.

The application has been withdrawn which leaves the way open for the original winding up petition over debts of around £3,500 to be heard in the High Court.

The biggest obstacle to the new group taking control of Pontypool concerned what is legally termed the "intellectual property rights", namely the name, colours and certain other matters.

Those rights are with the liquidator of Pontypool Rugby Club Ltd., who never sold them when that company went into liquidation several years ago.

But he has accepted a bid, which Crane denied was £1, for those rights from the new group who are already in the process of drawing up contracts to sign players.

They have also lined up sponsors and have people ready to join their management board.

Earlier this week Jude claimed on the club website that he was about to sign up a new team and that plans were in hand for next season.

He is currently on holiday in Portugal and unavailable to comment, but by the time he returns his reign will be over.

Crane added: "We have had nothing officially from the Welsh Rugby Union and until we do we will not be celebrating.

"The players too want to see confirmation in written form as they have been messed about more than anyone in recent months.

"We are very wary of assuming anything any more because we have been disappointed so many times in the past.

"We do believe the last piece of the jigsaw is in place but there are a couple of minor matters still in the hands of solicitors.

"But I repeat, verbal assurances are no good. We need to see everything in writing and we remain sceptical until we do."