Whitehead, Lawrence, Elliott tribunal date set

A date has finally been set for the hearing to decide how much compensation Oxford United can claim for losing Dean Whitehead to Sunderland.

The hearing will happen on Wednesday 15th September, and hearings to decide how much Sunderland will also have to pay for signing Liam Lawrence and Stephen Elliott - from Mansfield and Man City respectively - will also happen that day.

Whitehead began his professional career at Oxford then signed for Sunderland on a free transfer in June when his contract expired and he turned down a new deal; however because he's under 24, Oxford are entitled to compensation.

If the fee cannot be decided on the 15th, the matter will go to arbitration. Oxford chairman Firoz Kassam said today, "We are still in negotiations, and I still hope we can agree on a fee to avoid the need for arbitration", but added that Oxford and Sunderland have so far been unable to agree a fee, saying their respective valuations on Whitehead are "a long, long way apart".