Yesterday, in his latest attack on this newspaper and Jon Murray, the reporter he has banned from his stadium, Oxford United chairman Firoz Kassam made a string of allegations on Radio Oxford. Today, the Oxford Mail responds.

Kassam says: Our coverage is biased

Asked by Radio Oxford presenter Bill Heine why Jon Murray had been excluded from the ground, Firoz Kassam said it was "because his reporting is very biased and unfair". "In what way?" asked Heine. "In every way," said Kassam. "All he has done is criticise the club and knocked us all the way the last four years that I've been here and long before my time."

We say: Our coverage is balanced

Jon Murray has reported the facts as he sees them -- if the U's play well, he says so; if badly, he says so. What's biased and unfair about that? If he said United were magnificent in every match, he would lose all credibility with our readers -- and the players. Murray has praised the club and team on many occasions -- notably during this year's memorable cup exploits.

Kassam says: Murray should not ring players

Kassam told listeners: "It is not necessary for him Murray to ring my players at home on their mobiles and just wind them up all the time. It's not his business."

We say: Nobody is forced to talk

It is precisely Murray's job to talk to the players and get their views -- in fact, he'd be in trouble with us if he didn't. In some cases, it is the players who seek him out to let them know their opinion. Nobody forces them to talk to him. No player has complained of harassment.

Kassam says: Media shares blame for results

Asked whom he was blaming for the team's failure to reach the third division play-offs this year, Kassam said: "The players, the media, especially the Oxford Mail." Pressed later by Heine to clarify if he was suggesting Murray was partly responsible for the team's failure, Kassam confirmed that was his opinion. He suggested telephone calls to his players about contracts had affected their focus and concentration.

We say: The players are professionals

How can a reporter possibly have any influence on a team's performance in any game, let alone over a whole season? It is the club, the manager and the players who determine success and failure. As Bill Heine suggested in the interview, they are professionals and unlikely to be distracted by conversations about their contracts.

Kassam says: Reporter was 'mischievous'

Following Kassam's comments about calls made to his players' mobile phones, Heine asked: "You think he Murray was being mischievous?" Kassam responded: "Very much so. I have no doubt about it, otherwise I would not have gone to the length of stopping somebody coming onto my ground." He said his players had been stirred up.

We say: Reporter was doing his job

After covering league football for more than 20 years, Murray is a very experienced sports journalist. He merely reports the views and feelings of the players and fans. The Oxford Mail, which is a major sponsor of the club, has absolutely no interest in seeing the club fail -- on the contrary, we want success for Oxford United.

Kassam says: We ignored a charity story

Kassam accused the Oxford Mail of ignoring a story about a cancer charity event taking place on Sunday at his property at Heythrop Park, Enstone. "I think it is an exciting story for everybody, but not for the Oxford Mail. It is not an exciting story for them because it is being done at Heythrop Park, which I own."

We say: We have not ignored it

A story on The Race for Life event appeared on page seven of the Oxford Mail yesterday -- on the day Mr Kassam made his comments. We will be reporting on the fun run at Heythrop Park Hotel at the weekend and giving it fair coverage in Monday's editions, as we do all major charity events -- regardless of the venue.