Crunch time for United season

8:26pm Sunday 11th January 2009

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KELVIN Thomas must be wondering why he gave up life in America to become Oxford United’s chairman.

Having taken on the role to see if a fresh face and new ideas could help solve United’s serious financial problems, he knew he was facing a mammoth task.

But having been in the hot-seat for just three months, Thomas is facing his biggest challenge yet.

Today’s hearing over a possible 11-point deduction for Oxford United is crucial for the club’s future.

Everybody connected with the club has been anxiously looking at the Blue Square Premier table, working out just how close the U’s could get to the play-offs.

But attention instead turns to the teams at the wrong end of the table – which is likely to include Oxford United.

The U’s are clearly at fault for the administrative error that saw Eddie Hutchinson play for almost three months illegally.

However, the whole situation hardly puts the Football Conference in a good light either – just how did it take them so long to notice that he was not registered with the club?

If, as was the case with Mansfield earlier in the season, the mistake was spotted quickly, United could have faced a three or four-point deduction that they would have to have accepted.

But an 11-point penalty at this stage of the season will be catastrophic.

Former manager Darren Patterson did not want transfer-listed Hutchinson re-registered when secretary Mick Brown sent off the forms in the summer for all the players who ended last season at the club and would be staying for this campaign.

But when the midfielder rejected a couple of moves elsewhere, Patterson realised that due to the size of United’s squad, he would need Hutchinson available as back-up should the need arise.

Hutchinson signed the relevant paperwork, which was then sent off by Brown to the Football Conf-erence.

But they claim the forms never arrived, and United’s failure to check meant that an unregistered Hutchinson featured in 13 games.

The 11 points United face being docked came when Hutchinson played in wins over East-bourne, Northwich and York, as well as draws against Woking and Ebbsfleet.

Fortunately, he did not come off the bench in the 2-1 win over Rushden, or the 1-1 draw with Torquay, or United would face a 15-point ban.

Thomas though, has had far more thrown at him in three months than anyone could have imagined – least of all himself.

And this latest issue happened before he was even in the same country, let alone at the club.

While trying to keep the club afloat and ensure there is enough money to pay the Kassam Stadium rent as well as wages to the staff, Thomas has had to deal with a young player who posted racist remarks on a website, and now a member of staff who made one error that could cost the club very dear.

But you can’t help but feel sorry for new boss Chris Wilder too.

Wilder is understood to have been told about the situation when he was interviewed for the manager’s job at the Kassam Sta-dium.

The fact he still wanted the job shows just how determined he is to succeed with the U’s.

Battling against point deductions is nothing new for United’s manager, however.

His cash-stricken Halifax Town side lost ten points while he was in charge last season after going into administration.

But it is easy to see just why United have been really pushing this year’s FA Trophy as a huge competition, with the prospects of a trip to Wembley maybe the only glimmer of light the club may have this season.

With Saturday’s postponed tie at home to York now being played tomorrow night, the U’s are desperate for their fans to have something to cheer about.