BRACKNELL Town's plan to sign Mitchell Parker has been delayed by the Football Association – and it has raised an interesting question concerning their own player registration procedures, writes Dave Wright.

When going through the official channels to register the goal ace, club secretary Ricky Simons discovered international clearance was required as he had played in Portugal several years ago.

Yet since then, Parker played for several clubs, including Reading City (previously Highmoor Ibis), Basingstoke and Hartley Wintney.

It appears none of them received international clearance before signing him, an offence which carries a hefty fine.

Amazingly, the FA even picked Parker themselves last November, appointing him captain when they sent a representative team on an ambassadorial trip to the Falkland Islands. They played two games against an Island side and a British Forces South Atlantic XI at Stanley Community School with Parker scoring in one of them along with Liam Ferdinand, a Bracknell player at the time.

When the diligent Simons recently raised his selection with the FA, they said the games were only friendlies.

Bracknell had been close to acquiring Parker last year – even announcing on their website they had signed him – but, after playing in pre-season games he signed for Basingstoke Town and then later switched to their near-neighbours Hartley Wintney.

He stayed there until last month, only to suddenly depart in extraordinary circumstances. It was reported that during a first-half water break in the Southern League Premier South game against the Met Police on a hot day he exchanged words with a teammate before walking off the pitch and out of the match.

In recent weeks he has been training with Bracknell and, as the News reported last week, manager Sam Lock admitted Parker is a player "I like a lot".

Simons has been in regular contact with the FA in a bid to get the official clearance and it should not be long before the talented if, at times enigmatic, player is able to pull on a Robins shirt.

Bracknell are in action tonight (Wednesday) when they play FC Romania at Cheshunt FC in the Velocity Trophy.

This will be Robins' second Group Five game, having earlier this month defeated Marlow 2-1 at Larges Lane.

In their opening game, Romania crashed 8-0 at Westfield, the side who won 2-1 at Bracknell in the league last Wednesday.

This coming Saturday, Town are home to Coggelshall in the extra preliminary round of the FA Trophy with the winners away to Ramsgate or Haywards Heath Town on October 12.

The Essex club have made an excellent start to the season in the Isthmian League North Division and will provide tough opposition for the Robins.

Nicknamed the Seed Growers, they are jointly owned by singer Olly Murs, who shot to fame on The X Factor in 2009, and his close friend Graeme Smith, who is also the manager.