Solicitor Mel Stein dropped a huge clanger when reading the statement from the Football Conference regarding Oxford United’s five-point penalty – saying that the U’s had been found guilty for playing Stephen Hutchinson illegally!

Stein, accompanied by one of his two fellow panel members, Charlie Clapham, stood on the steps of their Wellington House offices and said: “Under rule 6.8 of the rules of the Football Conference, a three-man panel has today found three member clubs guilty of playing an ineligible player.

“Bognor Regis have been deducted seven points with respect to the player Samuel Pearce, Crawley Town have been deducted four points with respect to the player Isiah Rankine and Oxford United have been deducted five points with respect to the player Stephen Hutchinson.”

The Oxford Mail pointed out to Stein, who has also acted as solicitor for Paul Gascoigne, that the player in question was called Eddie Hutchinson, and he then had the embarrassment of admitting their mistake.

When questioned about the case, Stein declined to comment further.