Colin Todd fears that a "hidden agenda" is preventing City from loaning out players while they are in administration.

The club today fired off an angry letter to the Football League after they put the block on centre half Jason Gavin's proposed one-month deal to Macclesfield - as they had done when Darlington wanted to borrow Michael Symes.

That loan was stopped because it coincided with City getting special dispensation to bring in Neil Roberts. Todd believes that embarrassed the league and has caused their hardline stance.

Bristol City chairman Stephen Lansdown complained bitterly at the time and Todd believes City are now feeling the backlash.

Todd said: "This has come from certain chairmen of other football clubs objecting about us. If we had been bottom of the table then nothing would be said.

"The league stipulate we can't have more than 18 players but nothing anywhere says we can't have less. What they are doing is depriving a player of his livelihood and there is nothing in the rules to say why.

"At the end of the day, they are stopping Jason from playing first-team football.

"I know that Macclesfield are very unhappy about this as well and we've made our feelings perfectly clear in a letter to the league."

Todd has also revealed why he is not interested in bringing back Paul Heckingbott-om, who is on his way out of Sheffield Wednesday.

He said: "This football club needs to be turned round in a different way and to do that we have to look for fresh players.

"Paul has been here before and did a good job before deciding to leave in difficult circumstances. But if I'm going to bring in a left back, I have others ahead of him."

l City's youth team will now play their home games at Field Sports ground, Holling-wood Lane, Great Horton. The first one is against York tomorrow (11am kick-off).