United’s pre-season is starting to take shape. Following the announcement from Eastleigh that Oxford are sending a team to Hampshire on Wednesday 26 July, comes an announcement from Portsmouth that Pompey will be sending a full first-team squad to play at the United Stadium on Friday 4 August. The game has come about due to the long-standing friendship between Harry Redknapp and Jim Smith, although it has not yet been confirmed whether this will constitute the annual Oxon Benevolent Cup tie.

Two players who won’t be facing United in that game are goalkeeper Andrea Guatelli and midfielder Liam Horsted, whom Smith brought in on loan from Pompey when he arrived as boss. Both players were released by Portsmouth, although the Oxford Mail reported that Cardiff were interested in Guatelli.

United have also announced that they have given one-year professional contracts to three scholars. The lucky trio are: striker Billy Beechers, who has made six substitute appearances for the first team; defender Andrew Gunn, who won the Young Player of the Year award this season; and midfielder Josh Kennett, who has the necessary floppy haircut required to be a midfield playmaker. Unfortunately, their happiness was tempered by the release of four of their colleagues, with Ryan Brooks joining his brother Jamie on the dole queue, along with Kyle McCoy, Chris Roberts, and Daryl Harris.

Meanwhile, life in the Conference is gradually becoming clearer as next season’s opposition takes shape. The Conference has accepted Canvey Island’s resignation, meaning that Tamworth Town are reprieved from relegation. In this evening’s Play-Off final, Hereford United finally, at the nth attempt, regained their former league place, beating Halifax Town 3-2 after extra time. While we congratulate Hereford on their achievement, we also cast a rueful glance at next season’s petrol bill as we face another trip to Yorkshire. The final piece of the jigsaw should be inserted on Tuesday, when the Conference will hear Altrincham Town’s appeal against their 18 points deduction for fielding an ineligible player. Should Alty’s appeal be rejected, then it means that Scarborough won’t be relegated, and we will have an even longer trip than Halifax to make next season. Hopefully the Conference authorities will see sense, and allow Altrincham to continue at Conference National level.