Lambert compensation already spent - Cowling

Colchester United chairman Robbie Cowling has warned his club's fans not to expect a spending spree this summer following two sets of managerial compensation pay-outs.

The U's have just received �425,000 from Norwich City in compensation for manager Paul Lambert, as well as an undisclosed amount for his successor, Adrian Boothroyd, following his departure to Coventry City.

The fee from Norwich alone is more than Colchester have ever spent on a single player, but Cowling has urged U's supporters not to get too carried away with thoughts of a mass influx of new blood to the League One club.

“In many ways the money has already been spent,” said Cowling, who has promoted previous assistant boss John Ward to the manager's job.

“We'd brought in players that Paul Lambert wanted that then didn't figure under the new manager (Boothroyd). We ended up with a bigger squad than we would have done if we hadn't made the change.”

Colchester still have nearly three weeks to consider whether to appeal against the findings of the Football League disciplinary commission that investigated City's recruitment of Lambert.

City were ordered to pay Colchester �425,000 compensation for the services of Lambert, Ian Culverhouse and Gary Karsa, plus a �75,000 fine and a �125,000 fine suspended for two years - but there was no deduction of league points.

The Canaries have confirmed they will not appeal, but Cowling said last week the U's were considering the idea. He argued that City should have been docked six points at the start of next season after admitting a breach of Regulation 20, which forbids clubs from inducing other clubs' employees to break their contract of employment.

Football League head of communications John Nagle said if an appeal went ahead, the appeal panel would consist of three members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, one of whom must be a barrister of 10 years' standing.