THE Football Conference are to hold an internal review into the way they run the Blue Square League in the wake of the stinging criticism of their procedures from Oxford United and other clubs who have been docked points this season.

They announced after an EGM yesterday that they would form an administrative review sub-committee to look at how the competition is administered.

In a statement, they said: “The Board of the Football Conference deplores the recent spate of ill-informed publicity arising from the disciplinary hearings held in Birmingham last week.

“However, the Board has received some genuine enquiries concerning the administration of the competition, and in the interest of transparency, has decided to form an administrative rev-iew sub-committee to report back to the Board on February 23, and ultimately the member clubs, on its findings.

“In view of the fact that the time limit for the disciplined clubs to appeal has not yet expired, it is not appropriate to say anything more today.”

At the end of a two-hour disciplinary hearing in Birmingham on January 12, a three-man panel announced that Oxford would be deducted five points for failing to register Eddie Hutchinson properly at the start of this season.

Crawley Town and Blue Square South strugglers Bognor Regis were deducted four and seven points respectively for similar offences, and each complained vociferously about the way it took so long for the mistake to be spotted.

It took more than three months for the Conference to notice that Hutchinson was not registered.

Chairman Kelvin Thomas said afterwards: “We feel there are major issues surrounding the administrative procedures of the league that need addressing,” he said.

And an Oxford Mail investigation revealed last week how amateur local football leagues were more efficient in checking players’ registrations than the Conference.

The Non-League Paper, like the Oxford Mail, has been stinging in its criticism of the league.

United have yet to announce whether they will contest the five-points deduction, an appeal which would go direct to the Football Association.

They have 14 days in which to appeal, from when they received the official letter from the Conference detailing the punishment, and that deadline expires on Monday.