A promise to ban fans from parking outside residents' homes near the Kassam Stadium for Oxford United's first home match of the season has been broken.

Oxfordshire County Council's parking controls manager John Crossley said about 200 parking spaces had been marked out along Grenoble Road which surrounds the stadium.

But restrictions only allowing residents with permits to park in surrounding roads have not yet been brought in -- despite promises from councillors, including executive member for transport David Robertson, on July 28, that they would be in place before tomorrow's match against Hull City. Legal work to draw up the restrictions was contracted out to Buckinghamshire County Council because of staff shortages in Oxfordshire.

Fans would be encouraged to use the 200 spaces instead of blocking up residential areas in Blackbird Leys, Greater Leys, Littlemore and Minchery Farm, which surround the Kassam Stadium.

Mr Crossley added: "The restrictions are not in place because the legal processes haven't been completed yet.

"The orders have to be advertised so people can support or object. We have to set up a full residents' parking scheme, which takes time.

"We have to write to about 5,000 individuals to invite them to apply for permits. It's not just one area, it's several.

"We had difficulty getting special permission from the Department of Transport. It's a one-off scheme. The signs are unique. If we have our way, it will all be in place very soon this season."

The U's have made a great start to the season, winning their first two games, which may add to the popularity of the tickets.

Tony Stockford, 70, of Pegasus Road, said: "We would have been surprised if the restrictions had been in place, looking at the past record of the council.

"How many more lies are they going to tell about the implementation of this scheme? it should've been up and running years ago."

Blackbird Leys Parish Council chairman Brian Lester said he was not convinced the Grenoble Road spaces will keep fans away from residents' homes.

He said: "If they haven't got the signs up it's not enforceable I believe. If the yellow lines aren't accompanied by notices I don't believe they are enforceable.

"Residents will be brassed off to put it mildly, which is understandable considering we've been waiting nearly three years.

"We have been kept well informed by our county councillor Barbara Gatehouse and senior traffic engineer Peter Egawhary. But if it's not enforceable in time, they should have thought of that before making promises."

David Robertson, the county council executive member for transport said he had understood that the signs to enforce the parking restrictions were being erected in time for the game, but the problem was parking restrictions could not be implemented until residents had been given 21 days to apply for permits.

He said: "There was always the expectation that we were going to have a period of grace for residents to get their permits.

"To be able to enforce restrictions properly we need to be ensure residents have got their permits. otherwise we won't know if a car belongs to a football fan or a resident."

Mr Robertson said he was confident the scheme would be complete within a few weeks, but added that Firoz Kassam had promised to make a further 700 parking spaces available by tomorrow.

Tony Ashley, Oxford United's stadium manager said he had never heard of any such promise.

Mr Ashley said his staff would do everything they could to encourage fans to park along Grenoble Road tomorrow. He added that extra buses now being run from Abingdon and the Water Eaton park-and-ride, should ease congestion.

He said: "It's just disappointing the scheme isn't in place in time but that's out of our hands."