SWINDON Town Football Club have strenuously denied rumours that the manager is playing seven footballers from the local primary school when they take on Leyton Orient this weekend while he rests members of the first team.

A Town spokesman said: “Although the school was approached, the mums of the children said unless the Town could guarantee the boys would be home for their tea at five o’clock they would not be playing.”

The Town, however, could not guarantee this in case the game went into extra time.

A Leyton Orient press officer said: “We were disappointed about this because we could probably have got a draw from this fixture which would have eased our relegation problems.”

BRIAN TOMLIN Headlands Grove Swindon