SWINDON Town are expected to officially have new owners later today, less than 24 hours after Paolo Di Canio announced his resignation as manager of the club.

A consortium fronted by Jed McCrory is set to take charge at the County Ground after all the members of the incoming board passed their Football League fit and proper persons tests.

Proof of funds is understood to be in place and the League is expected to ratify the deal sometime today, whereupon the new investors can pick up the pieces after a difficult few months at the County Ground.

The Adver has learnt that the Football League required paperwork to be re-submitted by the Robins, which held the takeover process up recently.

McCrory’s board is believed to consist of the former Luton director and founder of corporate booking agency Eminence Martin King, ex-QPR and Brentford commercial manager Gary Hooper and operations specialist Steve Murrall, who has experience within the pharmaceutical industry.

Their first job could be to appoint a new manager following Di Canio’s announcement last night that he wants to leave the club. Town have yet to accept the Italian’s resignation, which he confirmed in a statement released to the Advertiser, but it is more than likely that a replacement will be needed for the Italian.

Bookmakers made Phil Brown, Nigel Adkins and Paul Dickov among the early front-runners for the position last night, while the Advertiser understands former Wycombe and Leicester boss Peter Taylor is interested in the role.

Swindon are expected to be able to register new players once again following the sale of the club, but the Advertiser understands that moves for Marlon Pack, Danny Green and Bradley Wright-Phillips are close to breaking down altogether.

Pack was set to join on a loan to permanent switch from Cheltenham, whose manager Mark Yates has not expressed a desire to keep him at the club, while Green is wanted by MK Dons. Furthermore, the Adver has learnt that Bradley Wright-Phillips is a target of Brentford during the emergency loan window.

Swindon travel to Tranmere in League One tonight. Di Canio’s assistant manager, Fabrizio Piccareta, is expected to take charge of first-team affairs.

It is yet to be decided what will happen to the rest of Di Canio’s back room team but it is believed that they will all leave the County Ground.