'We'll go to court to block transfer rules'

And he is warning clubs could take UEFA to court to block it.

Football's European governing body plan to restrict clubs to two windows for both domestic and international transfers next season, meaning managers could only buy and sell players in the close season and in January. Loan deals would also be included.

The move was approved at meeting of the professional football committee of UEFA in Switzerland on Tuesday 4 December and will be submitted to the UEFA executive committee next week for final approval.

A recommendation would then be made to UEFA's 51 member associations, but Mr Rowe believes it will meet with widespread opposition.

He said: "The impact this would have would be massive. At a meeting of the league's 72 clubs last week, there was a unanimous vote that we would oppose it.

"It is a restraint of trade put onto us by UEFA and I wouldn't have thought the Premier League will be happy about it either. It affects everybody's ability to operate as a business and we will continue to fight it. If necessary we will take them to the European Court."

Rowe stressed that there can be times during a season where clubs are forced to sell their best players to balance the books. He believes an inability to do this as of next season would force clubs like Town to the wall.

Said Rowe: "Brett Ormerod was transferred from Blackpool to Southampton this week, which gave Blackpool over a million pounds in transfer revenue. That wouldn't happen if this system was imposed on clubs.

"A prime example for us is the situation where we had to sell George Ndah to Wolves a couple of years ago because the books needed to be balanced.

"Clubs at our level have to do that from time to time or face the stark alternative, which is to go out of business."

The transfer window will be imposed for international dealings next season after FIFA reached an agreement with all associations concerned. Rowe fears lower league clubs may become the losers in the resulting political crossfire.

He said: "We are caught in a political war between UEFA and FIFA. FIFA brought in the world transfer system and as a result UEFA want to bring in a domestic one. They should get real and come and see how things are done at this level.

"The international window gives us an opportunity to stimulate the domestic market, which has slowed down in recent years. Premiership clubs would not be able to go abroad so they might look at clubs like ourselves for new players."

Meanwhile, the course of Town's season hinges on the outcome of two crunch meetings at the County Ground.

The club's shareholders will vote in a new board of directors to take over the County Ground reins at the long-awaited emergency general meeting tomorrow, while Roy Evans' Town side face Hereford United in the FA Cup on Saturday.

The club, who have been without a board of directors since Danny Donegan was ousted in the High Court on November 5, are thought to be losing more than £120,000 per month and an extended run in the FA Cup would provide vital income in the New Year.

Said Rowe: "It is a very important game both because of the restructuring of the FA prize money and what the third round draw might offer us.

"Everybody is fully aware of what we have to do on Saturday and it won't be easy."

Striker Guiliano Grazioli was on the mark for Stevenage Borough when the non-league side dumped then First Division Town out of the competition in 1998.

He said: "The weather played its part that day, it was blowing a gale.

"We played very well on the day after going a goal down when Mark Walters scored. We got one back straight away and after that it was anyone's game."

Town staff will finally learn who their new board of directors are to be after the EGMat 10.30am tomorrow.

Former jockey Willie Carson, Nick Prescott, Bob Holt and Wendy Godwin, the widow of former Town board member Peter, have been nominated for election on to the interim board.