Derby County fans will be hoping that a fresh month brings a fresh start and that today is finally the day they see their club get long-awaited new owners.
The troubled Rams have been in administration since last September and a protracted takeover by American businessman Chris Kirchner fell through near the finish line last month.
For a club that has been through the mill in the last 18 months - administration, transfer embargoes, points deductions and relegation - there is genuine hope that the end of the saga is now finally in sight.
Clowes Development hope to rubber-stamp a deal as the club look towards what they hope will be a promotion push in League One next season.
Here, we look at the background of the prospective new owners.
Who are they?
Clowes Development are a well-known Derbyshire-based property developer who were established in 1964 by Charles W Clowes and are still a family-run business.
The company says its portfolio makes it one of the largest and strongest privately-owned property investment and development organisations in the UK, with £300million worth of assets.
According to its website, Clowes undertakes work with the likes of Tesco, Marks & Spencer and Mercedez Benz and in 2020-21 they recorded a turnover of £82.9m and an operating profit of £22.3m.
They showed their commitment to a takeover of the Rams by last week purchasing the company which owns the club's ground, Pride Park.
Who is the man behind it?
David Clowes is chair of the Clowes group. The 53-year-old is a lifelong supporter of Derby and has been a regular at games for years.
As well as the Rams, he also has a lifelong passion for flying – he attended Oxford Air Training School in 1994 and obtained his Airline Transport Pilots Licence.
In 2000 he joined British Midland, based at East Midlands Airport (EMA), firstly as a First Officer on the Fokker 100 and Fokker 70 aircraft. He later moved on to the Boeing 737, being promoted to Captain in December 2004 and continued working for British Midland until 2012.
Nick Webster, who worked with Clowes at EMA, told the BBC : "Dave grew up in the Baseball Ground days on the terrace. He knows the club. He is at total different ends of the spectrum to (former owner) Mel Morris. He is quite a private person and so he's probably stepping out of his comfort zone so you have to applaud him."
Any worries over delays?
Given the hiccups and near-misses in the past, you can forgive Derby fans for not getting too carried away.
Administrators Quantuma, who have been in situ since last September, released an update on the Clowes talks on Thursday night.
A spokesperson said: "The joint administrators, EFL, Clowes Developments (UK) Ltd (“Clowes”) and their advisors have worked throughout the day to resolve the small numbers of outstanding issues in order to complete this extremely complex transaction.
"There is a multitude of documents that need to be concluded and executed by not only the joint administrators, the EFL and Clowes but also third parties. Work is ongoing with all relevant parties and their advisors to conclude and execute all the necessary documentation to allow completion to take place. All parties acknowledge the frustration caused by these further delays and would like to thank supporters for their ongoing patience, as we collectively continue to work towards finalising this transaction."
