CASH-strapped Hereford United feel they have been harshly treated by the Football Association over transfer fees for Ryan Bowman and Sam Clucas.

An FA Transfer Tribunal this week awarded the Bulls £20,000 for Bowman, the club’s top scorer last season, and £15,000 for Clucas, rising by another £5,000 when he makes 15 appearances for new club Mansfield Town.

The pair left Edgar Street in the summer, with Bowman going to York City, but because both were under 24 and had been offered equal or improved deals, Hereford were able to claim compensation.

But Bulls chairman David Keyte reckons the club had a case for receiving more money.

He explained: “We had written proof of an offer of £30,000-plus from Crewe for Clucas, a verbal offer of £25,000 from Port Vale and a strange one, late in the day, of £40,000 from Nottingham Forest.

“Those are three other clubs who have put a value on the same player, compared with Mansfield’s offer of £7,000.

“I really thought that the Crewe deal, which we had accepted, would be the logical conclusion.

“We felt that there might have been £50-60,000 in it for us for Bowman and the Clucas deal was a big disappointment.”

He continued: “The panel was keen to say that Clucas had only been here 18 months so queried how much we had been able to develop him yet, bizarrely, did not push the same point with Bowman who had only been here 10 months.

“Ultimately we have ended up with more for Bowman than we have for Clucas.”