Colchester United defender Fabrice Richard is set to leave the Second Division club.

U's manager Steve Whitton revealed today the 27-year-old French defender was free to leave Layer Road and is going back to France for trials with Sochaux FC next week.

Whitton said: "We are giving him a chance to get fixed up before the transfer deadline and if he does well hopefully the French club will take him.

"Fabrice has always tried his hardest whenever he's come into the side, but he still doesn't speak English very well and in my opinion he's not good enough anyway."

Richard, signed by former Layer Road boss Mick Wadsworth at the tail end of last season, has made 24 League and cup appearances for the U's. Richard will be the sixth former Wadsworth signing to leave the club since the end of last season.

Stephane Pounewatchy, Warren Aspinall, Sagi Burton, Brian Launders and Steve Germain have already gone.

Meanwhile, U's secretary Marie Partner confirmed today that referee Rob Styles got it right by cautioning striker Karl Duguid and not defender Joe Dunne in an 83rd-minute off-the-ball incident with Burnley's Ian Wright at Layer Road on Saturday.

Duguid and former England international Wright were embroiled in an ugly skirmish by a corner flag which resulted in both players being booked.

But Duguid threw matters into confusion after the match by claiming referee Styles ticked off Dunne's name instead of his own. Mrs Partner confirmed Duguid was in fact officially cautioned for "unsporting behaviour."

The U's Second Division game against Gillingham, scheduled for Layer Road on Saturday, March 25, will go ahead as planned despite the fact it clashes with Ipswich Town's First Division home game with Fulham on the same day.

Mrs Partner said: "We didn't bring our game with Gillingham forward to Friday night because we are already scheduled to play Oldham on the Tuesday of the same week and manager Steve Whitton wants to keep three days in between for the players to recover."

Mrs Partner added: "In normal circumstances we and Ipswich share the stewarding for home matches, but on this occasion we will be drafting in some stewards from West Ham United."

Former U's midfielder Brian Launders appeal against a Football League tribunal's decision to uphold his instant sacking by the U's last October is to be heard next Wednesday.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.