Powell departs, Eagle leaves

Paul Powell and Ian McCaldon have both been told that United will not be renewing their contracts when they expire at the end of this month. Powell came up through the youth team and is currently United's longest serving player, having played 200 games since making his debut in January 1996.

Eagle, as McCaldon is occasionally known, was signed by Mark Wright as a replacement for Richard Knight. He was already under the impression that he would not be offered a contract and had returned home to Scotland where he was hoping to find a club to play for, or else go back to being a joiner (as opposed to Oxford, where he was a leaver…).

United were also in discussions with six other players to make them offers of new contracts. Bobby Ford and Steve Basham are already out of contract, but many supporters will be hoping that both are taken on again after impressing last season. Andy Scott is also being spoken to, but will presumably be offered a far reduced contract to his current one, and doubtless not many will be too gutted if he turned it down. Supporters Player of the Season Dave Savage has also been in contract talks, as has Paul McCarthy, who played for United on loan at the end of last season but who is now out of contract at Wycombe. Simon Cox, United's youth 'keeper has also been talked to as United bid to turn him into a professional. There has been no mention of the other out-of-contract players: David Oldfield and Roy Hunter, nor the other third year scholars: Rob Lovegrove and Dwight Ciampoli.