OXFORD United's players have revolted after not being paid last month.

The cash crisis at the Manor Ground meant the debt-ridden first division club were unable to pay any of their playing or non-playing staff on time last Friday.

And because of it the players say they are withdrawing their services from promotional work for the club.

Players' wages for the previous two months were paid late and only after the Professional Footballers' Association bailed United out by loaning them tens of thousands of pounds.

Managing director Keith Cox, in a ten-minute talk to the players yesterday afternoon, said he was optimistic that the proposed take-over, which had collapsed because of the withdrawal of backer John Gunn, could be resurrected.

Club secretary Mick Brown confirmed that a representative of Grenoble Investments Ltd is due to meet former chairman Robin Herd's solicitors today.

Cox promised the players that their wages would be paid one way or another, within 48 hours.

However, none of the office staff, groundsmen nor management staff, including boss Malcolm Shotton and his assistant Mark Harrison, know when or whether they will be paid.

Not surprisingly, it created an atmosphere of depression to match the pouring rain, and rebellion among the players, some of whom sought advice from PFA official Clive Whitehead who was there in person. From the young to the old there was a feeling of bitterness.

Seven-goal top-scorer Dean Windass said: "I'm getting Aberdeen papers calling me to ask if I'm returning because Aberdeen haven't received a penny and they could call me back at any time.

"To be honest I wouldn't want to go back. It's all very well the fans wanting me back but it's the manager who pulls the strings.

"I was told that there was £25m coming in for a new stadium. And to boost a team that finished 12th last season, there would be money to strengthen the team and we could look to challenge for the play-offs.

"Now we can't even afford to take a player on loan. It's unbelievable.

"I don't blame Mal, though. He's only going by what he's been told and he hasn't got a clue what's going on.

"However much money you're on, you want to be paid, don't you? It's every working person's right to be paid for their work.

"On Saturday we went out and worked our b******s off and that showed the spirit there is among the players. "But from my point of view I hope the administrators come in on Thursday then they can sell me on."

Shotton was sympathetic, saying: " Deano's come here because of me. We are friends and I was his coach at Hull. I've wanted to bring in players but we can't do anything other than work with the players we've got.

"To have the take-over so close and then have obstacles put in the way is so frustrating."

Skipper Les Robinson said: "We depend on our wages every month, we've all got kids and a mortgage to pay. And we're not all Man Utd players. Some fans think we're on loads of money but that's just not true."

Young left-sided midfielders Paul Powell and Jamie Cook confirmed that.

"After not being paid, I had £3 to last me all weekend," said Cook. "It's not plea-sant."

Said 20-year-old Powell: "I've just started paying a mortgage and I've got a kid to look after. But we're all in the same boat."

Robinson added: "It's terrible that we weren't told till Friday that we wouldn't be getting our money and we had to go into the Crewe game, the biggest game of the season, with those worries."

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