At an emergency meeting at the Abbey stadium on Monday evening, shareholders voted to sell the ground to board member John Howard for nearly �2m.

The ground will be leased back to the club for �200,000 a year, although fans felt the deal would not keep the club from going into administration.

But Chairman Gary Harwood said leasing back the club was the best plan.

He said: "I would like to have been able to conclude a better arrangement than the one we've had to conclude, but in the end, compared with all the other alternatives that were pursued...I have to say it is fair."

Justin Medd, from Cambridge Fans United, said fans were not happy with the rescue package.

"We went into that meeting feeling that, in fact, administration would have been the best option because, better to go down in administration owning your own ground than to do it in a year's time not owning your own ground, which is what we think is going to happen."