Carlisle United’s long-standing “succession” issue is likely to come to a head within weeks, their supporters’ trust have claimed.

CUOSC say a “conclusion” is in sight to long-standing talks over the direction of the club and its debt position.

The trust made the claim in their recent annual general meeting, minutes of which have just been published.

United have had close financial ties with Edinburgh Woollen Mill since 2017 and, since EWM’s retail business fell into administration, now owe a seven-figure sum to a new company with EWM links, Purepay Retail Limited.

Blues directors recently said that those behind EWM were still seen as a “viable option” when it came to the prospect of top-level change at Brunton Park.

Comments from Billy Atkinson, CUOSC’s representative on United’s strategic Holdings board, have now suggested that further developments could now be in sight.

In the AGM minutes, he is quoted as saying: “Discussions over next few weeks should bring conclusion to two years of succession and debt issues.”

In their News & Star column today, CUOSC also say “meetings are being arranged” with regard to bringing the matter to a conclusion.

The trust declined to comment further when approached by the News & Star. United have also been invited to comment.

Atkinson, in the AGM, also said there needed to be a “commitment to funding and investment, plus openness and transparency” when it came to succession.

He said the trust would only agree to any dilution of their shareholding “once proper change of control has taken place”.

“CUOSC [are] not willing to play Russian roulette with the club’s future,” he added.

At a fans’ forum earlier this summer, United’s hierarchy said they were still pushing ahead with a succession plan involving EWM.

It was the clearest sign yet that wealthy EWM tycoon Philip Day still intended to be key to United’s future.

Blues co-owner John Nixon said United were not up for sale because “at this point in time we’re in the middle of an investment programme with one investor, which everybody’s fully aware of – EWM.

“We’re looking to further the club it will be with that investor – that’s a tacit agreement we have with them," Nixon added.

“The investor at this point in time are indicating they’re going forward and want to maintain that.”

Atkinson, at Sunday's AGM, said there had been “not much movement” since comments on the matter were issued in May.

Nixon, meanwhile, had since said that United have a “Plan B” in mind in the event of needing to go down a different route.

Asked about this at the CUOSC AGM, Atkinson said: “Plan B can go nowhere until Plan A is settled. Discussions have to take place. There was a change to the original succession plan, and CUOSC opposed this change. We need clarity on any further changes.”

Asked further about whether CUOSC wanted EWM as successors at United, individual CUOSC board members declined to answer “because [the] board operate on a consensual position”.

Atkinson said that “any decision will be in [the] best interests of CUFC.”

The CUOSC personnel also spoke about their roles on United’s two boards, which has brought criticism from some fans.

The trust said they had a good working relationship with the Blues top table but said they regularly ask challenging questions of directors. “If I thought I was a lame duck I wouldn’t be there,” Atkinson added.

He also said United’s 1921 operational board was “more” transparent than the Holdings board, which was “not as transparent as it could be”.

The Holdings board is comprised of owners Nixon, Andrew Jenkins and Steven Pattison, John Jackson of EWM/Purepay, Lord Clark and Atkinson.

The CUOSC AGM, meanwhile, showed their membership to be 436.

Only 47 fans voted in the board election which saw Frank Beattie and Mark Middling elected.