Saints target in tapping-up row (From Daily Echo)

Saints target in tapping-up row

10:55am Thursday 20th September 2012 in Saints News

WONDERKID Harry Cornick is at the centre of bitter tapping-up row between non-league neighbours Christchurch and Poole Town.

The 17-year-old Priory winger has attracted attention from a host of Premier League and Football League clubs since bursting on to the scene this season.

Cornick, whose suitors are believed to include Saints, Stoke, Fulham, Cherries, Crystal Palace and Brentford, has come through the ranks at Hurn Bridge.

And rival bosses Graham Kemp at Christchurch and Tom Killick at Poole are at loggerheads over the Dolphins’ approach for the Poole Grammar School teenager.

Priory have lodged a complaint with the Football Association after claiming Poole had illegally spoken to Cornick, an accusation the Dolphins have fiercely refuted. And the disagreement has spilled over into an angry war of words.

Kemp told the Daily Echo: “I have never held a player to a seven-day approach and wasn’t holding Tom to the seven days. Tom phoned me on the Thursday before our FA Cup tie with Alresford on the Saturday and all I stipulated was for him to wait until after the game. Three hours later, I had a call from Harry who said Tom had spoken to him.

“I called Tom to ask why but we got cut off. He sent me a text saying he would get back to me but he didn’t have the decency to ring me back.

“We were doing Poole a favour and feel, as a club, they have ridden roughshod over us and lacked a bit of respect.

“We are not naïve, we know it (tapping up) goes on but he should have had the decency to respect what we had asked.”

Poole boss Killick, however, claims he was given the green light to speak to Cornick and has hit back at Kemp’s accusations.

Killick said: “Christchurch have seen fit to refer it to the FA and we have had to make a formal response. We are confident there is no wrongdoing whatsoever.

“Sometimes, people get frustrated about the position they find themselves in and react in an inappropriate fashion. I am disappointed it has happened but have got bigger things to worry about."

 

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