SELBY TOWN boss Jimmy Reid has hit out at former club Pickering Town after he insisted they blocked the release of three players to the Robins.

Reid said he asked the Pikes to allow Liam Shepherd, Dean Readman and Steve Baxter to join the Northern Counties East League division one club - arguing all three indicated they were no longer prepared to play for the Pikes.

The trio were among a raft of players that stopped playing at the Recreation Ground following the club’s decision to fire Reid last November.

Shepherd has moved to Evo-Stik League outfit Scarborough Athletic but Reid claimed his NCEL registration, along with that of Readman and Baxter, are still held by officials at Mill Lane.

Reid said he asked for the usual seven days of approach, which also entails a 28-day waiting period between contacting each player, to be waived given their status at Pickering.

But he claims he was rebuffed.

“I think it is very selfish.” Reid said.

“When I took over from Pete Vasey at Pickering I didn’t hold anyone back. They are obviously doing what they think is right but I never had an issue with players coming and going.

“People can draw their own conclusions.

“Why hold on to three players who don’t want to play for Pickering?

“Two of them, Readman and Baxter, left after the 7-2 win over Thackley (the last game for assistants Steve Brown and Dean McAuley) and have not been back. They are not going back to play there.

“I took Steve Baxter into the first team when he was an under-19. He must have played 450 games for Pickering. Why are they treating someone who has given such service to the club like that?”

Pickering boss Mitch Cook said the club didn’t wish to make any comment on the matter.

Reid, meanwhile, has moved to sign former Pickering Under-19 and Wigginton Grasshopper midfielder Jamie Willstrop ahead of their NCEL division one clash at Appleby Frodingham tomorrow.

On the game, against an Appleby side struggling down at the division’s basement, he said: “I just want to get three points as quickly as possible.”