Oxford United commercial manager Lorna Gosling is to leave the club. As of 11 July Gosling, who is the latest in a long succession of not very long-lasting commercial managers, will take up the same role at Conference South outfit Eastbourne Borough, the side that United beat in the FA Cup first round in November. It would appear from the report on the Eastbourne Borough web site that it was at the game in Eastbourne when Gosling decided to move to the south coast. Obviously, this leaves Oxford with the necessity of making a new appointment, which will hopefully be seen as an opportunity for new thinking.

Former United midfielder Jim Magilton, who was strongly linked with a move to Oxford during Darren Patterson’s brief reign in March, has been named as the new manager of Second Division Ipswich Town. There were a number of short-listed candidates for the post, including former Northampton boss Colin Calderwood, who joined Nottingham Forest, and QPR manager Ian Holloway, but Magilton was the only candidate for whom the Tractor Boys would not have had to pay compensation. Magilton announced his retirement from playing at the end of this season.

In the Conference the tinpottedness continues apace. Crawley Town have now entered administration, meaning that they will start the new season with a ten point penalty. Meanwhile victims of the Conference Board’s vague thinking, Scarborough Town, have announced their decision to appeal the Board’s decision to have them relegated and to start next season with a ten point deduction. However, the appeal is not to the body that decided to demote the Seadogs, but to the High Court. The club was relegated for football related debts and the points were deducted for its entry into a new CVA. Meanwhile Exeter City, who have been linked with United striker Tim Sills, have parted company with manager Alex Inglethorpe. The Grecians’ ex-boss has been mooted as a possible successor to Danny Wilson at Franchise FC.