Crawley owner Azwar Majeed today quashed rumours of a takeover.

Majeed insists he has no plans to sell up now Reds are close to being debt free following a year of financial problems and reiterated his desire to take the club into the Football League.

Crawley owed creditors around £500,000 after entering voluntary administration last summer.

A number of potential buyers were thought to have come forward after Crawley clinched Conference survival on the last day of the season.

But in a statement exclusively to The Argus, Majeed said: "I can confirm that (administrators) Begbies Traynor have been sent the money for the CVA and it is now just a matter of a few formalities - crossing the Ts and dotting the Is before the creditors are paid in full.

"There is no takeover planned and I do not have any plans to sell now or in the immediate future but I will say that my door is always open to anyone potentially interested in investing or buying into Crawley Town Football Club."

Majeed is currently interviewing potential new managers for next season and wants to make an appointment by the end of next week.

The club advertised the position last week after sacking caretaker boss John Yems.

Former Stevenage and Rushden boss Graham Westley is believed to be among the contenders along with a number of other well known names.

Majeed has spoken to three candidates already and says whoever gets the job will have money available to build a squad good enough to push for promotion.

He said: "New applications for the manager's job are coming in as we speak and the board of directors are preparing a shortlist of prospective new managers.

"The successful candidate will have to fit a list of criteria and convince the board that he is the correct person who will be able to complete our main objective and be able to drive Crawley into the Football League.

"The manager will be taking over virtually a brand new football club that is debt free and with the financial backing to go out and choose his squad for the upcoming season."

Majeed has urged all fans to put the uncertainty of last season behind them. Some supporters have boycotted home games in protest at the way the club has been run.

Majeed said: "Next season I hope that the fans, new and old, will support the team from the first game to the last game.

"In an increased drive to keep the future of Crawley supporters coming through the turnstiles for years to come, any under-16s will be charged just £3 per match for the whole of next season."