Last updated at 11:07, Friday, 16 July 2010

Carlisle United today refused to get drawn into a war of words with Workington Reds after Borough Park supremo Humphrey Dobie blasted the Blues over the Tony Caig transfer.

Tony Caig

Chairman Dobie has spoken of his disappointment that United refused to offer any cash for the 36-year-old goalkeeping coach, who is poised to join Carlisle on a full-time basis after starring for Reds last season.

Dobie has also claimed that the Blues have still to hand over £7,500 they owe from the deal that took Adam Collin from Workington to Carlisle last summer.

United today said they did not wish to comment on Dobie's claims.

The outburst threatens to damage the previously good relationship between the clubs which has seen United send loan players to the west Cumbrians and regularly play a pre-season friendly at Borough Park.

Caig’s contract with Workington will be cancelled in the coming days, with United intending to register him as a player as well as increasing his involvement on the training ground.

Dobie said: “Carlisle pleaded poverty and refused to pay any money for Tony, despite telling us that morally we should receive some.

“Tony was our player of the year, and was voted non-league football’s keeper of the year, so we are hugely disappointed to let him go for nothing.

“We met with Carlisle a couple of weeks ago and it was clear from the start that they did not want to pay for Tony’s services.”

Dobie also hit out at United over the Collin transfer, claiming the two clubs shook hands on a £10,000 deal along with a 25 per cent sell-on clause but United would not hand over the remaining cash.

He said: “When Carlisle approached us for Adam in November 2008 we were happy to let him train with them.

“When we met to discuss terms, there were five of us in the room, and we shook hands on a £10,000 deal with the sell-on.

“We were told that the paperwork would be with us in the next few days but it still hasn’t arrived.

“When we were negotiating for Tony, we said we wanted the £7,500 we were owed but Carlisle said the deal was done and they couldn’t give us any more money.

“We asked about the sell-on and they said that was done too. We tried to lower the sell-on to 10 per cent but they still said no."

On Caig, Dobie added: “I have spoken with Tony and he has a family to support and bills to pay so we didn’t want to stand in his way of earning a living for himself.

“His coaching role could be a job for the next 20 years so we didn’t want to stop him from doing that, we just wanted what we were owed.”

First published at 07:48, Friday, 16 July 2010
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk