15th October 1999
15th October 1999 ATHLETIC'S injury problems continued to pile up today when David McNiven was revealed as a major doubt for the game at Cardiff.
The striker has just hit form and showed his well-being last weekend by scoring his first senior goal for 18 months. McNiven was sure to keep his place in the starting line-up, but he has now injured his ankle in training and looks unlikely to recover before the team travels to Wales tomorrow. It is another blow to manager Andy Ritchie, who must already cover for the loss of Shaun Garnett, Phil Salt, Paul Beavers and Stuart Thom. Ritchie sighed: "David just went over on his ankle with no-one anywhere near him. He is definitely struggling for weekend." But Athletic do have ample consolation with the return of both Craig Dudley and Steve Whitehall. Dudley, who missed last weekend with a virus, is the probable replacement for McNiven after scoring spectacular goals in the last two reserve games. Whitehall has yet to play a full 90 minutes this season so is likely to be eased back more slowly, Athletic's private friendly against an army team yesterday was an important step in the comebacks of Whitehall and Beavers. Ritchie added: "They both came through it well and it was good for them to get 90 minutes under their belts. "Playing matches is always a better way of getting fit than just doing it in training." Athletic's youngsters are back in the spotlight tonight when they entertain Wrexham in the first round of the prestigious Times FA Youth Cup. The game kicks off at 7 pm, with admission costing £3 for adults and £2 for juniors and pensioners. Team: Whittle, Otto, Robinson, Rock, McLaughlin, Smith, McLean, Oliver, Hall, Froggatt, Griffin. Subs: Duncan, Donnelly, Vernon, Hall, Davenport.
THE Oldham Athletic take-over talks were today shrouded in mystery after one of the leading contenders claimed he had been beaten to a deal for J W Lees' 19,000 shares.
Bernard Manning (jnr), who was heading a consortium to take over the club, said negotiations between his solicitor and the brewery had come to an end _because a rival bidder had clinched a deal. But J W Lees immediately denied the claim and said talks were continuing with a number of interested parties. "Negotiations are still in progress and we have no information other than that," said the chairman of J W Lees, Mr Richard Lees-Jones. Mr Manning, meanwhile, said he was now out of contention: "It appears that somebody else has done a deal and that leaves me out in the cold, unless things change. "I knew other people were negotiating, but I didn't know what stage they were at.
"I was quite surprised, but it's up to J W Lees to do what they feel is best and they have done that. "We were never really close to a deal because we were waiting for more information. We had problems with people going away and things stopped a bit on our side. "We tried to get as much information as possible in order to reach a decision, but in that time it looks as if other people have come in. I don't know who they are. "I'm disappointed because I fancied the challenge, but it's obviously not to be. Perhaps I should go for Manchester United next! "It would have been a big step for me, but I think I could have injected something in the club which is missing at the moment. "Oldham Athletic is a great club and I really hope they get out of the mess and do well out of it."
The uncertainty about the new owners follows revelations that Boundary Park is being sold to Oldham Council's joint-venture company, Hiretarget. The council has also asked the Charity Commission for permission to swop the Clayton fields land with the football club land, for its Sports Park 2000 stadium development. As soon as the council's submission to the Charity Commission was on its way, Clayton Action Group vowed to fight it. The group is ready to launch a second bid to get the Clayton fields protected by Town Green status. Spokeswoman Alma Haslam said: "If Hiretarget wants to buy the football club land, that is one thing. But if they want to build on Clayton, that is another. "We have already been in touch with the Charity Commissioners over other issues, such as the strip of Clayton fields opposite the Elk Mill, which was sold off. "We will be objecting on several points. We don't believe the land swop is in the best interests of the Clayton Playing Fields Trust. "We don't think the council's claim that they are offering an extra four acres, which is in fact to create a sound barrier, will be acceptable to the Charity Commission. "The fields have been allocated protected open land status under the Urban Development Plan, and if the council moves to de-allocate it, that won't be in the trust's best interests. Sensitive
"A lot of the land is covenanted and can't be built on. "There are other matters of a sensitive and confidential nature we will also be putting to the commission." The group, which could be ready to resubmit its Town Green bid in a few days, meets later this month. One issue it will debate, said Mrs Haslam, was calling for the council to step down as Clayton trustees.
Reserves spot on in cup shoot-out
ATHLETIC RES 1 BURY RES1
(Athletic won 4-1 on penalties)
ATHLETIC were spot on as they defeated Bury on penalties in last night’s Manchester Senior Cup tie at Boundary Park. It was a text-book shoot-out as far as Athletic were concerned — they scored all four of their kicks while ‘keeper David Miskelly made two decisive saves. Matthew Tipton, Ian McLean, Jordan Tait and Darren Wardle were all on target, while Miskelly saved the first two penalties fired at him by Paul Challinor and Andy McMillan. Athletic, who have won both group games so far, should really have won the cup-tie in regulation time. It was a lively affair and it was surprising that it generated only two goals. Both sides were denied by the woodwork on two occasions as the promised goal feast did not materialise. Athletic took the lead after 27 minutes as Craig Dudley produced a stunning strike for the second successive reserve-team match. This time Dudley made an electrifying burst, gliding past two opponents before unleashing a venomous drive into the roof of the net. Athletic were desperately unlucky not to finish the half two ahead. Mark Innes’ drive crashed against the crossbar and Matthew Tipton had his follow-up effort ruled out for offside. Tipton then saw a 35-yard piledriver hit the bar.
Bury equalised midway through the second half through the ever-dangerous Paul Barnes. The striker, whom Neil Warnock once wanted to bring to Boundary Park, scored with a delightful shot on the turn from the edge of the penalty area which Miskelly could only help into the net. Barnes could easily have finished with a hat-trick. In the first half Miskelly pushed his shot on to the bar and then, late on, a 25-yard drive from the same player was deflected on to the woodwork. Dudley, recovered from a virus which ruled him out of the Luton match on Saturday, gave another good account of himself. Indeed, most of the play went down the right, meaning Faroe Islander Ossur Hansen saw little of the ball on the left. Hansen, who is on a two-week trial, had a couple of decent runs but came off at half-time suffering from a groin strain.
ATHLETIC: Miskelly, Tait, McLean, Swan, Hotte, Walsh (Boshell 73), Innes, Hansen (Clitheroe 46), Tipton, Wardle, Dudley (Wharton 73). Subs (not used): Futcher, Campbell.
I do not understand how the board of our club cannot see that the proposed (almost definite by the sounds of it) decision to sell Boundary Park to 'Hiretarget' will have nothing but disasterous consequences for our clubs future. £2 million plus purely on the basis that revenue does not cover the running costs of the club (its not as though we have taken a finincial risk by stepping into the transfer market), how does a deal which means that in future our running costs are going to increase as a result of paying rent help us at all.
Ok money from the sale may clear some of/all of our debts - but as the club is still losing money, and will due to rent, continue to lose money at a greater rate, surely in a short time the club will be in debt again. This time there will be no assets to sell to bale us out. `They have been guaranteed a long lease as long as they pay the rent.' - but what if we can't afford the rent because of mounting debts. Also they guarantee a long lease, but is there any guarantee on the size of the rental payment?? It would be very easy for 'Hiregate' to get us out by upping the rent to a level the club could obviously not afford - this guarantee doesn't appear to be worth anything.
"HIRETARGET, the company stepping in to help to save Latics, ironically began life rescuing rugby league in Oldham.....Hiretarget bought the Watersheddings rugby ground, with the council guaranteeing a loan, and the deal threw a financial lifeline to the club. Eventually, the land was sold for housing, and Hiretarget made a slight profit" BUT Oldham RLFC went bust!! They now play there home games (after re-forming) at Spotland. Didn't Hiretarget promise to provide Oldham RLFC a new ground but instead moved them out of watersheddings before there was anywhere to go. Whilst a RLFC club going bust, and re-forming means they play in a slightly lower league than they did - if Latics go bust and reform, how many divisions would we be forced to drop?? The end of football in Oldham?
"Although the income from the sale of land will help to ease the current financial situation, I would like to assure fans that the agreement will not be concluded unless the directors consider it to be in the best long-term interest of Oldham Athletic and its supporters, and the running of Boundary Park remains with the club". Mr Brierleys version of long-term interest and mine seem to differ, and I presume from these statements that the fans will be consulted about this deal? (stop laughing at the back). Perhaps the 'new buyers' of the club (Mr Ajit Medtia or -heaven forbid City supporting Bernard Manning jnr), think that by selling the ground and clearing the debts will allow them to take over a club that's in the 'black'. This way the large amount of capital that they are going to invest can be spent on the team rather than interest payments. We can only hope - but I'd have thought that some mention of this would have been made in the released statement to appease the fans. I hope my doom and gloom mongering proves to be unfounded, and the sale of the ground will provide a sound financial base from which investments in the team will improve results. This will result in higher attendances/more revenue from programmes, pies etc. which leads to more investment in the team, further improvements, more revenue - and eventually to a respectable 1st Division side at least (you at the back, I've already told you once).
Keep the faith, and good luck to lads at Cardiff (where I hope the fans will make their feelings heard).