WITNEY Town have been fined £200 by the Football Association after being found guilty of making an illegal approach for Oxford City wing back Terry Morrisey.

The penalty comes after Witney, who were also warned about their future conduct, put in two seven-day approaches for Morrisey before Christmas.

FA Rule 19a states that a club can make only one seven-day approach for the same player at any one club in the same season.

Morrisey, meanwhile, has been told that he can't register for Witney Town - except with written permission from the FA.

City referred the matter to the FA after they were angered by Morrisey's behaviour, while Witney claimed they had made a genuine mistake in making the two approaches. Witney manager Andy Lyne said: "I think it is very sad that a situation has occured whereby we have incurred a fairly significant fine as a result of Oxford City taking it up with the FA. It is a situation that every club and manager is faced with every season.

"I have at least four examples of clubs approaching my players this season, but we have resolved it by speaking to the club or the manager.

"So I am very disappointed to be on the receiving end when I have always gone out of my way to be reasonable with other clubs when the situation is the other way round.

"We have made a genuine mistake - it is not as if we tried to tap him up behind their backs.

"Oxford City's decision to take that action doesn't help relations between the two clubs."

City chairman Mick Woodley commented: "As I said at the time, I have a bit of sympathy with Witney. Our problem was with the way Oxford City was treated by the player.

"He was a contract player last season and walked away from his contract. He gave us various commitments before we took him back, but he wanted to walk away from those as well."

Meanwhile, Witney have a shortage of strikers as they take on neighbours North Leigh in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup quarter-final at Marriotts Stadium tonight.

Story date: Tuesday 08 February

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