CONTRACT KILLER
DUNDEE BOSS FEARS EXODUS Hartley: Clause meant Kane could look for Dens exit – and Greg might go next Boss hopes to Locke in Skacel for Alloa tie I’ll have more samba parties with Accies Nick up front to give Utd lift with Fraz back
PAUL HARTLEY has revealed he was powerless to stop Kane Hemmings quitting Dundee – and the Dens boss fears Greg Stewart could be off too.
English League One club Oxford activated a buy-out clause in the striker’s contract to trigger his £250,000 exit from Dens Park.
The Dark Blues boss pleaded with Hemmings, who hit 25 goals last season, to stay.
But the 24-year-old Englishman had already opted for a return south of the border to sign for Michael Appleton’s Oxford side having only signed from Barnsley on a threeyear deal 12 months ago.
And now Dundee face the same potential scenario with fellow frontman Stewart attracting interest from Birmingham.
Hartley said: “I didn’t want Kano to go but there was nothing we could do. I’m not privy to players’ contracts because I don’t deal with them but there was a clause in the contract which I have only just found out about.
“Oxford met the clause and there’s nothing we could do. That’s the harsh reality of it, you bring players in and there are certain conditions in the contract.
“We wouldn’t have got him if we didn’t have that in his deal. He told me he wanted to go back down the road, GARY LOCKE hopes to win the red-tape battle to pitch in Rudi Skacel against Alloa tomorrow.
The former Hearts midfielder, 37, joined Raith on a one-year deal last week but Rovers have been unable to secure international clearance.
Raith boss Locke said: “If we can get clearance the deal was good for him and there was nothing we could do. “He didn’t cost us anything last year and we’ve had to sell him. “I didn’t want to sell him and I can understand the frustration of the supporters. But he’d already made his mind up. “He’d had an experience in England that didn’t work out but this time it was too good a deal for him to turn down. “Kane was good for us and we were good for him. I wish him all the best. I really hope he does well because he was terrific for us last season.” Hartley called striker Stewart “irreplaceable” recently and knows Dundee could end up fighting another losing battle to hold on to him. He added: “The harsh reality of Scottish football is all the top teams have to sell their top players. “We don’t want to sell Greg but sometimes there’s not a lot you can do. We want to keep Greg but he has ambition also. But there have been no bids at this stage. “He has been terrific for us over the last two years but my
He told me he wanted to go back down the road. There was nothing we could do
PAUL HARTLEY
then he’ll be in the squad.” Czech Republic cap Skacel played 90 minutes in a bounce game on Wednesday but is short of match fitness.
Raith can clinch a Betfred Cup last-16 slot in the winner-takes-all clash.
Locke added: “We both know a win is enough. It should be a good game.” job is to find another Greg Stewart or Kane Hemmings.
“We’ll just have to see where we are at the end of the window. You have to deal with it. You don’t want to lose your best players but that’s life.”
Hemmings is determined to continue his deadly Dundee form in England with Oxford.
He said: “Hopefully I can repay the trust put in me by the manager and the owner.
“I’ve been in good form since the turn of the year and hopefully I can continue that here.”
Dundee chief executive John Nelms insisted any fans’ anger over not knowing Hemmings had a clause in his contract should be directed solely at him.
Nelms said: “Kane has personal reasons about why he wants to be down there.
“It may have been financial, it may have been personal – it may have been all kinds of things.
“If the fans are upset about information not coming out about contracts then direct it to me not Paul or the team.” ALEX D’ACOL has vowed to become a goal hero for Hamilton after finally finding his shooting boots.
The Brazilian striker, 30, who made only four starts last season, has toiled since joining Accies last August.
But after getting off the mark at Edinburgh City in their Betfred Cup win D’Acol wants to top Group G by helping his side beat Livi tomorrow.
He said: “I was getting a bit anxious about not scoring. But I knew it was a matter of time.
“Now I’ve got my first goal I hope it gives me confidence to get more. We are playing to win.” SCOTT FRASER is set to return for Dundee United as they bid to clinch their place in the Betfred Cup last 16 against Dunfermline on Sunday.
Fraser, 21, missed last weekend’s penalty shoot-out win in Inverness due to a knock but will be fit for the visit of the Pars.
And that could mean Dutchman Nick van der Velden leading the line for the first time after filling in for Fraser in midfield.
United boss Ray McKinnon said: “Nick can play slightly deeper. But we also looked at him further forward when he was on trial and he did well. This gives us good options up front.”