Oxford United have made an application to the Football League to switch their midweek home night to a Wednesday.

Their much-publicised Tuesday hoodoo has seen them not win a home league game on a that night for five years.

United always used to play on Wednesdays, with many of their most famous cup victories at the Manor coming on those nights.

Meanwhile, the club's youth team could be disbanded in a year's time.

Chairman Firoz Kassam admitted at last night's fans' forum at The Kassam Stadium, that he was looking at its future in the current economic climate.

Rob Lovegrove, Dwight Ciampoli and Simon King have all progressed from the youth ranks to be taken on as pros next season, with Lovegrove and Ciampoli given three-month trial periods.

Kassam said young players have to be good enough to be able to break into the first team, because there is now effectively no transfer market.

Jamie Brooks returned to training with the first team when they reported back yesterday.

He joined in at Horspath with new signings Julian Alsop, Mark Rawle and Derek Townsley.

Also joining in were David Oldfield, Bobby Ford, Steve Basham and Roy Hunter, although none has committed himself to a new deal at Oxford.

Talks with Ford and Basham are continuing. The club also hope that defender Paul McCarthy will accept the offer that has been put to him.