MARK DEVLIN has secured Football League support in Town's fight to lift a crippling transfer embargo but that will be meaningless unless the players' union can also be persuaded to cut the club some slack.

The County Ground chief executive met with league officials yesterday and convinced them to back a plea to allow loan players to join Andy King's squad.

However, the league is powerless to overturn the embargo while Neil Ruddock's loyalty bonus remains unpaid.

It has agreed to write a letter of support, urging the Professional Footballers' Association to relax its stance but it cannot force the players' union into any course of action.

Devlin said: "I thought the meeting was fairly successful.

"The Football League now has a better understanding of how we are trying to get the club back on an even keel.

"Clearly they expect to be kept informed with our financial dealings, it is a condition of clubs in a CVA. But hopefully we have established some trust.

"I would hope as a result of this meeting we would avoid the delays and frustration that dogged the Sam Parkin transfer due to their worries about our financial situation."

Devlin was also delighted that officials agreed to back the club's claim to bring in loan players, despite the Ruddock situation remaining unresolved.

The former player coach is a owed £58,000 loyalty bonus as part of his contract which Town are refusing to pay.

Devlin said: "I will be speaking to the PFA today and I hope they will cut us some slack in our efforts to reach an agreement with Neil while also recognising that we need to bring players in.

"They have to look after the interests of their member (Neil Ruddock) but I also believe they want to see a football club able to compete.

"We have a very small squad and Andy King was forced to field injured players at Luton due to the lack of bodies.

"I want to be able to tell Andy (King) that he can start to move on options. But it's not in my hands.

"But I am encouraged that the League proved sympathetic to our situation."

After Saturday's defeat at Luton, manager Andy King said it was vital for him to bring in new faces to provide competition for his struggling stars.

He said: "I have no options available to me."

King also admitted that his ability to do just that would be given a significant boost if Ruddock was to make a 'brave decision' and reach an agreement with the club.