Colchester United chairman Robbie Cowling has urged the football authorities to make an example of Norwich City, after the two clubs failed to agree on a compensation package for Paul Lambert.

The U’s have elected to take their Coca-Cola League One rivals to a Football League tribunal and have reported them for a breach of league regulations and misconduct.

Colchester were unable to agree with Norwich over a compensation package for the departure of former manager Lambert – along with his assistants Ian Culverhouse and Gary Karsa – in August.

The Football League will now set up a Football Disciplinary Commission to hear Colchester’s complaint against all four parties, with a tribunal likely to take place in January.

That could lead to the U’s being awarded substantial compensation – possibly running into seven figures – or even the Canaries being deduced points.

Cowling wants the Football League to make an example of Norwich, for the good of the game.

He told the Gazette: “There are two key issues for us.

“The first is that Colchester United need to be compensated for what has happened.

“The second is that football has to sort itself out a bit and this is a chance for the authorities to do that and set an example.

“Football has to decide and our opinion is that a points deduction is fair, because they have damaged us.”

Cowling stressed that Lambert’s sudden departure at the start of the season was financially damaging to Colchester.

While he is understandably pleased with the impact current manager Aidy Boothroyd has made since his arrival in September, the U’s chairman said his club have been hit in the pocket by Lambert’s sudden departure.

He said: “We feel we have been damaged and we want to make sure that we’re properly compensated for what has happened.

“But I don’t think we ever will be, because to back any manager is an expensive thing to do.

“They naturally want different players and that costs money.

“I have allowed Aidy to bring in his own players but with that comes different wage bills.

“We got the best person we could have possibly hoped for in appointing Aidy.

“But the upset that was caused when Paul left, despite Joe Dunne doing a great on job in caretaker charge, was considerable and Norwich need to compensate us for that.

“And what is apparent is that Norwich have gained dramatically from what has happened.”

Cowling added that he had hoped that the matter could have been settled between the two East Anglian clubs, rather than go to an independent panel.

He said: “We felt it could be settled.

“I wanted to go to Paul Lambert with the idea of a money plus players agreement.

“I don’t want to elaborate any more than that but we were declined the chance to do that by Norwich City and we were not allowed to speak to him.”