The Steve Guinan sacking has turned into something of a saga with interest from the national media and claims made and countered in local and national press.

Last week it was reported in the Nottingham Evening Post that the former Forest striker had consulted his agent and the PFA and would be taken the matter further, but last Thursday he signed for Plymouth Argyle until the end of the season and Friday's Plymouth Evening Herald reports that he has reached agreement with Cambridge United.

An article by Chris Errington entitled "Argyle's goal-ace Guinan insists food-fight row is all in the past" revealed that the 24-year-old has agreed a financial settlement with United after support from the players' union, the PFA.

It continued: Guinan was sacked by Cambridge on Monday for what their manager Roy McFarland described as "totally inappropriate behaviour" at a club dinner. However, the striker insisted he made been made a scapegoat for the incident. Now he hopes to prove a point to McFarland by repeating the success he enjoyed during a loan spell with Argyle at the end of last season.

Guinan said: "On Monday I was devastated, but there's always a silver lining somewhere and this has proved to be it." He added: "Cambridge have apologised for the way they have treated me. I could have appealed against the decision and had it overturned but what's the point? He's not going to play me again. We have mutually agreed on a financial settlement, which I'm fairly happy with, but it's not just about that.

"I wanted to get away from the place as soon as I was treated like that. Obviously, I'm not going to go into details. I just want to put it all to the back of my mind and concentrate on playing well for Plymouth."

Guinan and two of his Cambridge team-mates were accused of throwing food at a club dinner. But while the other two players were fined a fortnight's wages, Guinan was sacked. "I would say the worst thing we did was flick peas across the table at each other," he insisted. "I don't know why I have been made the scapegoat the way I have and the other two lads have got away with it.

"I have got to think myself fortunate that I have got a chance to come down here and, hopefully, I can prove him wrong. I haven't stepped out of line at any football club I have been at in nine years. It seems ridiculous the way I have been treated over something so silly."

The former Nottingham Forest striker only found out about his sacking by Cambridge from the local press. "That's what really annoyed me," said Guinan. "No-one from the club told me officially. I tried to have my say with Roy McFarland but he refused to see me. He gave the other two lads the courtesy of listening to their side of the story, but not me. It just seems to me I have been made the scapegoat for what went on."

Also in the article, Plymouth's manager Kevin Hodges insisted he was not taking a chance by signing Guinan and commented,"He was here last year and he didn't give me one problem. I have got no qualms about it. It doesn't concern me at all. He's a genuine lad who wants to come here and try to score some goals.

"Steve contacted me to let me know the situation before all the media coverage of the story," Hodges continued. "He was quite open and honest with me. It's not as if he has tried to hide anything. He explained the situation and said he could be available. We have followed things up but, most importantly, he wanted to come to Plymouth."

Meanwhile yesterday's Observer kept the tale in the public eye by carrying the following report which is basically a re-hashed version of the CEN report from last week:

Guinan: buns, banter and what else?

Cambridge United's decision to sack striker Steve Guinan last week has provoked much speculation. According to manager Roy McFarland, the striker was thrown out for 'totally unacceptable behaviour' at the clubs sportsman's dinner - the toughest disciplinary action Cambridge have ever taken.

"Things go off all the time in football in training and on trips," said McFarland, "but this was completely unacceptable." He refused though to go into detail. So what happened?

"They were well out of order," said an anonymous attendee, who denied reports that the incident developed into an ugly vomit and trouser dropping routine. "They were throwing food around and heckling the speaker. Some of them looked worse for drink even before they arrived. It was very, very embarrassing."

Yesterday's Cambridge Evening News carried Roy McFarland's - hopefully - final comment on the matter when he responded to Guinan's claims in the Plymouth newspaper.

"I did speak to him on the same day as the other players, so what he said is just not true," he commented. "I haven't disclosed the full facts of what happened at the dinner, although I have them all. Steve Guinan's behaviour in front of supporters was disgraceful and the action the club took was fully justified.

"We have settled with him, but there was no reason for an apology."

My thanks to Alec Armstrong and Nick Johnson for sending these articles to me.