WELLING striker Paul Booth has been given permission to talk to Conference South rivals Cambridge City after the two clubs agreed an undisclosed fee.

Cambridge have already had two bids in the region of £2,000 turned down but they have now matched Welling's valuation of the player, who had one year left on his contract at Park View Road.

Booth, who scored 22 goals in 46 games last season, was keen to find a club nearer to his Peterborough home and Pennock refused to stand in his way.

Pennock said: "I never wanted to lose him but we have now agreed a fee and Paul is free to talk to Cambridge. We've got what we wanted with the fee and they've got a good player.

"I got on well with Paul, he has been fantastic for Welling, but the travelling has been getting to him for a while and I couldn't stand in his way any longer.

"I didn't want to be horrible to him and keep him at the club just for the sake of it."

Pennock also dismissed claims that a fee had been agreed with King's Lynn and refuted rumours linking Gravesend with a move for Booth, who left Stonebridge Road three years ago.