HEREFORD United's plans for their Football League return have suffered a big blow after the collapse of a transfer.

Centre-half Phil Gulliver has returned to Rushden and Diamonds due to a bizarre mix-up over his contract situation.

After a brief pre-season run-out for Bulls following his free-transfer move, it turns out Rushden are entitled to a fee for the 23-year-old after offering him a new contract.

And the Northamptonshire club are talking figures of around £30,000 which Hereford boss Graham Turner is not about to offer while admitting the situation has been "a messy affair".

Turner continued: "It's the waste of time, that's the critical thing. While we were messing around with Phil we could have been looking at other central-defenders."

So Gulliver heads back to Conference outfit Rushden but Turner has signed Carmarthen player Martyn Giles ahead of tomorrow's pre-season friendly at home to Cheltenham Town (3pm).

Giles, a left-back, centre-half or midfielder, spent four years at Cardiff City before moves to Morecambe, where he failed to play a Conference game, and then League of Wales side Carmarthen in 2004.

Turner said: "He trained with us for a couple of days last week on a trial basis.

"I just think he's got a fair amount of ability and needs the chance at a decent level again."

Giles, 23, is described as "strong, quick and powerful in the air" by his manager at Carmarthen, Mark Jones.

He played seven games for Cardiff, scoring in the Football League Trophy against Rushden in 2001, and also figured for Wales under 19s.