SCREWFIX PREMIER DIVISION: ANGRY Devizes Town manager Dave Hopkins is to ask his club officials to make a complaint about Odd Down after claiming they made an illegal approach for club captain Brad Newman.

Hopkins claims the club apparently spoke to Newman, 21, before making an official 21-day approach.

"I am really upset about it. That is not the way things should be done. I think they spoke to him and got his agreement to move before they put in a seven days for him,'' he said.

Losing such a talented young player and his club captain is a blow for Hopkins, who has had to try and hold a team together despite having no playing budget in the wake of former chairman Chris Belcher's departure, leaving the club wit more than £30,000 worth of debts.

Although the club has started afresh with no debts and a new committee, there has been precious little resources for Hopkins and he has been reduced to getting personal sponsorship deals for a handful of players.

New man was one of those players but Hopkins fears a better offer from Odd Down persuaded his captain to leave.

"It is really disappointing,'' he said. "Brad has been great this season and we didn't want to lose him. I just hope that he will play out the last few games of the season there and maybe come back to us in the summer.''