as become another casualty of the power struggle which has enveloped the county association.

It has emerged that Offord, who has been an OFA Council member for 13 years, resigned as vice-chairman and a director after chairman Ray Mills stood down as OFA chairman and divisional representative for the City Division at a meeting this week.

However, Offord quit in protest at Mills being co-opted back on to the OFA Council by a vote of 11-4, rather than in sympathy at the former chairman's position.

The resignations follow the row involving the OFA and their 'sacked' secretary Ron Leaver.

Offord, who retains his position as a divisional representative for the North, said: "I found myself in an untenable position. I have been a Ron Leaver supporter all the way through and my position has not changed. I am not happy at what has happened."

However, he added that he didn't agree with Leaver, who still sees himself as the OFA secretary, holding on to OFA office equipment and computers.

"I don't agree with what Ron Leaver is doing at the moment," added Offord.

President Joe Roughton, who proposed the motion to co-opt Mills, felt the former chairman deserved to be back on the council after his service to Oxfordshire football.

"There is nothing to stop co-opting anyone. In fact, there are a lot of people on the OFA who have never been elected. They are there by virtue of being in positions such as referees' secretaries.

"From my point of view, and for what he has done for football, if ever a bloke deserved to be co-opted back on to the council it is Ray Mills." Roughton added that he was saddened by the events which have seen the OFA attract such adverse publicity.

"I have been in football for 70 years and I have never known anything as ghastly as this," he said.

"It is terrible that an organisation like that is suddenly put in limbo.

"I am in a position of an onlooker and that is all I can be as president. I have done my bit in the past and I am sitting back just looking at something horrible going on."

And he added: "I feel sympathy for Ray Mills, because he has been put in an untenable position and there was no need for it whatsoever.

"Several people on the outside have got their knives out and have been sticking them in as hard as they can. It is a nasty business."

Mills is due to issue a statement this weekend.

Meanwhile, an extraordinany general meeting is to be held at Pressed Steel SC on Monday, March 20 (7pm).

Story date: Saturday 26 February

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.