Another week, another set of headlines that leave Town supporters wondering what to hope for, and what to fear.

We've all learned to take the statement that the takeover could be concluded on Monday or Tuesday'' with a pinch of salt. That's been said almost on a weekly basis since August, and was aired again after Saturday's match with Gillingham.

But even while wearing the hat of realism, no-one was prepared for the news that Town were £18m in the red and the Portuguese investment now looked doubtful. We were surprised, not because we ever thought the deal was cut and dried, but that the news of imminent insolvency came from Bob Holt, the man who had pooh poohed every negative vibe that had emanated from the supporters.

Now instead of calling for calm and offering reassurance, Holt appeared to be saying exactly what we feared would happen, and the irony seemed to escape him completely.

Before that we heard Swindon owed Cheltenham £25,000 gate money, a football-related debt that the authorities take a very dim view of.

How did that come about? At that stage we hadn't played Cheltenham at home this season. Did they give us all the cash from the Whaddon Road fixture in August and ask them to pay them £25k back?

And then came the threat of a player strike through unpaid wages and a £5,000 fine for fielding a weakened team..

The fact that Town won 4-1 with that apparently under strength side seems to have done Luggy's case no good whatsoever, and it could be argued that the team fielded for Tuesday's elimination from the tournament, while on paper stronger, was in fact the weaker of the two.

The CVA remains unpaid, a points deduction looks increasingly likely, but Town sit sixth in the table having just won by their biggest margin since March 2003.

Just how should we be feeling now? Sick with worry or cautiously optimistic?

The lesson that Town supporters always remember is to never get carried away with a good news story.

On Tuesday I paid to enter the hospitality suite to watch the JPT match with Cheltenham. The match wasn't going to be covered by my season ticket and I figured I might as well spend a bit more and watch the game in style and comfort.

As a result I was slap bang in the middle of a demonstration as Town supporters vented their anger at a section of the stand that contained only fellow Swindon supporters who were as worried and helpless as the rest of them.

I tried hard not to look Portuguese or like a 4ft jockey, but it did get me thinking.

If the Jim Little, Jose Veiga and Rufus Brevett consortium doesn't complete the take-over, will Town send them a bill for the hospitality they've enjoyed for no gain to the club over several matches?

That should claw back a few quid.