WATFORD have to refused confirm that they are in dispute with Chris Cummins, the former Assistant Academy manager who was sacked in January.

The Watford Observer understands that Cummins is claiming he is entitled to a percentage of the deal that Aston Villa paid for Ashley Young. Cummins was axed along with first-team coach Dave Hockaday in a double cull on Thursday, January 11 Villa paid £8m up front for the utility forward, with a further £1.65m hinging on appearances, international honours and Villa qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.

Cummins declined to comment when contacted this week but it is believed he is claming he is owed as much as £240,000 by the club he served for over a decade.

It is believed a contract he signed as a part-time scout in the days when Graham Taylor was at the helm entitled him to 2.5 per cent share of the money the club received for any player sold for more than a specified amount.

It is understood it was an incentive-based policy Taylor introduced as part of the restructuring of the club's youth set-up, with the aim of establishing long-term commitment and continuity.

Scouts and youth team staff were believed to have been given financial incentives to find players with the potential to play for the first team.

Hockaday, manager of the Under-18's before being promoted to first-team coach in 2005, has negotiated a five-figure settlement and is back in work as part of the coaching team at MK Dons.

It is believed that after declining the club's offer of severance pay - a figure that amounted to three months' wages - Cummins is putting together a case for wrongful dismissal.

"It would be inappropriate to comment upon the employment terms existing between the club and its staff, past and present," said Watford chief executive Mark Ashton.