Wright swoops, allegedly

There are unconfirmed reports that Mark Wright has gone back to his previous club, Southport, to sign up four of their best players. Club captain Andy Gouck and leading scorer Ian Arnold head the list, with 24-year-old defenders Phil Bolland and Scott Guyett also reportedly Oxford-bound.

Gouck, 28, formerly played for Rochdale whilst Arnold lists Middlesbrough and Carlisle United amongst his previous clubs. The central defensive partnership of Bolland and Guyet have not played league football before, but all four players have allegedly been sought after by other League clubs. Hopefully these reports will be either confirmed or rubbished as soon as possible.

Palace on Farmland

United's first game at the new stadium is against the glamorous opponents of Crystal Palace, who grace the new turf on Saturday August 4th. This was possibly not the curtain-raiser that many fans would have liked but apparently United have opted for a low-key match in cast there are teething problems.

Reports suggest that it was actually David Kemp and Alan Smith who set up this match before they both lost their jobs. United are also to face away games against Oxford City, Woking and Kingstonian, although Mark Wright has yet to sign off on any of these games and may have his own ideas about what pre-season friendlies he wants.