19th January 2000 

The week in review!

ATHLETIC'S record of shutting out opponents for almost seven hours in league matches is under threat from an injury to Mark Hotte. The in-form 21-year-old has become a vital part of Andy Ritchie's defence, which has not conceded a league goal since Boxing Day. But he hurt his wrist in the 3-0 victory over Brentford on Saturday and was in so much pain that he went to hospital later in the evening. Now Athletic are hoping that the problem won't require surgery. Fellow defender Richard Graham is making his way back from injury, but manager Andy Ritchie would hate to lose Hotte after a run of four consecutive clean sheets. Ritchie said: "Mark fell awkwardly in a challenge and had to be strapped up for the rest of the game. "He was having quite a lot of problems with it and ended up going to the Accident and Emergency department on Saturday night for an X-ray. Nothing came of it, so we are hoping it's just a bad sprain and doesn't involve the scaphoid bone, which is very important. "I know from experience that, if the scaphoid is involved, they would have to operate quickly. He'll have another X-ray tomorrow to make sure." 

The injury scare makes Hotte a doubtful starter for tomorrow night's Auto Windscreens Shield tie against Stoke City. Entrance to the game at Boundary Park _ which is being replayed after last week's power failure _ is again £5 for adults and £1 for juniors and OAPs. Vouchers for free admission were given to people who attended last week. Midfield duo Paul Rickers and Lee Duxbury are expected to be fit for the match after being substituted on Saturday. Both were taken off as a precaution, Rickers with a slight groin strain and Duxbury with a jarred knee. Athletic produced their best home performance of the season against Brentford, leaving Ritchie singing their praises. "It was very good stuff," he said. "It's nice to be so far up the table, but we have to keep aiming to go higher." If Athletic beat Stoke tomorrow (Tuesday), their next Shield game will be a northern section quarter-final at Blackpool next Tuesday. 

Latics on a high

NO, it isn’t an optical illusion, a trick of the light or even a misprint in the newspapers of the world. Oldham Athletic — the team who looked doomed to a season-long relegation fight — really are in the top half of the second division. Their remarkable resurgence gathered pace at Boundary Park on Saturday as Brentford suffered the kind of afternoon which will give them recurring nightmares. Outplayed, comprehensively outfought and already staring defeat full in the face, they then had goalkeeper Andy Woodman controversially sent off for a professional foul. Woodman was livid at a decision which allowed Mark Allott to round off the scoring with his second goal of the game. The penalty was dispatched with aplomb to take Allott’s tally for the season to an impressive 11. From small acorns, mighty oaks can grow. And Athletic, having made a positive start, made it tell in resounding style. Confidence was bubbling even when the match was goalless and Brentford were staging some kind of resistance. The spirit of the mediocre Londoners didn’t take much breaking and Athletic — showing the ruthless streak their manager had demanded — made an excellent job of storming the barricades. Although Brentford were physically imposing, they lacked the strength to hold off opponents who, at times, were in rampant form.

Athletic now run on to the pitch expecting the minimum of a draw and that mindset is reaping some rich dividends. This was their biggest league win for one day short of a year and made it three victories on the bounce. They have lost only three of their last 17, are in the highest position (12th) of Andy Ritchie’s 20-month reign and, for the first time since October 1996, can boast four consecutive clean sheets. That last statistic is due to both organisation and a tremendous will to keep the run going. It was surprising to see Mark Hotte and Scott McNiven man-marking Brentford’s two giant strikers, while 6ft 2ins Shaun Garnett played as the spare man. But they made it work superbly and ensured that Patrick Agyemang and the highly-rated Lloyd Owusu were almost anonymous. McNiven and, in particular, Hotte have been absolute revelations this season. Garnett, meanwhile, is enjoying a new lease of life. Quite how Richard Graham and Stuart Thom will fit in when fully fit is something of a mystery. But what a nice dilemma for Ritchie to face. After the abandoned Auto Windscreens Shield tie in midweek, Athletic reverted to their familiar line-up.

Garnett was back in place of Paul Jones, with John Sheridan restored to midfield following his well-earned rest. And it was Sheridan — settling into another majestic performance — who launched the first serious attack with a chipped pass to Neil Adams. Adams’ cross found Paul Rickers at the far post, only for the shot to be deflected just off target. Lee Duxbury is another man in prime form and he tried his luck twice in a couple of minutes, first forcing Woodman to tip over his curling 25-yarder and then charging into the box to meet Steve Whitehall’s centre. With Brentford already looking stretched, Athletic moved smoothly through the gears to create their 33rd-minute opener. As so often, Adams was the provider, squeezing over a cross from the right despite being under severe pressure. Whitehall failed to reach it at the near post, but Andrew Holt was lurking in the centre to bundle in from six yards and break his duck for the season. It was hardly clinical finishing, but Holt’s strike again showed the value of using the sweeper system. Had he been playing as a regular full-back, rather than the newfangled wing-back with licence to roam, he surely would have been yards away from connecting with the ball.

Athletic, in fact, got plenty of joy from out wide and, while the quality of service was not always ideal, that form of attack brought an added bonus. Brentford had two useful full-backs of their own in Danny Boxall and Richard Kennedy. Yet neither could get forward with any effect as the forays of Holt and Adams gave them far too much to do in defence. The breakthrough lifted Athletic to a level Brentford couldn’t match and the tireless Rickers again came close to punishing them. After Allott headed wide when well placed, visiting boss Ron Noades dashed from his seat in the stand to take emergency action. But the double substitution backfired as, three minutes later and just past the hour mark, Athletic doubled their lead. It was a simple affair, with Whitehall delivering a pinpoint corner. Allott was left alone three yards from goal and had the easiest of jobs to head past a flat-footed Woodman. Athletic were in total control. 

And they put the result beyond doubt in the 76th minute after an incident which left Brentford seething with anger. Allott burst into the penalty area and went down under goalkeeper Woodman’s sprawling challenge. Referee Alan Kaye pointed to the spot but, as Allott had been heading away from goal, it looked a harsh decision to pull out the red card. Woodman certainly thought so and, in a snarling, finger-pointing fury, he accused Allott of diving. After much persuasion, Woodman eventually stormed off, hurling his green jersey as he went. Striker Andy Scott went between the posts — Noades having used all three subs — and Allott, who had taken over penalty duties from Adams, slammed the kick high into the net. It could have got worse for Brentford, who tested home goalkeeper Gary Kelly only once in 90 minutes. But Holt’s injury-time header came back off the post to deny Athletic a fourth goal which, on the balance of play, they may even have deserved. 

Ritchie’s admiration for experienced pair

ANDY RITCHIE was again a happy man after seeing his side continue their stirring run up the second division table. The Athletic manager thought the 3-0 win was a real team effort, but he reserved special praise for two of his most experienced campaigners. “There are some quality players on the pitch for us,” Ritchie said. “And I thought John Sheridan was superb in his passing, vision and ability to bring the ball down. “Lee Duxbury was also excellent — as he has been for the last two months. His enthusiasm, work-rate and willingness to work for other people are phenomenal. “We totally dominated Brentford from start to finish. I’m very, very pleased and I thought we got back to the way we played at Wigan the week before. “We got to the ball first, we closed them down, we got tackles in and we worked very hard up front. Their two front men were tall enough to catch pigeons, but we handled them very well. “I’m pleased we kept another clean sheet. So are Gary Kelly and the defence. “We have talked about the system we play and I think we have it down very well now. The lads are happy with their positions.”

Both Ritchie and his Brentford counterpart, Ron Noades, said Andy Woodman’s second-half sending off was undeserved. The Brentford goalkeeper was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Mark Allott after the Athletic man tried to round him 10 yards from goal. “It was a definite penalty, but a bad decision to send him off,” summed up Ritchie. “Mark Allott was going away from goal and the fact that Woodman had to go shows how all common sense has been taken out of refereeing. “It was harsh and I said that to the lad as he came off — not that he was really listening. “He said Mark had dived, but he isn’t that kind of player. “The penalty killed the game and, although I was glad about that, Mark could have got a hat-trick if we’d shown a bit more urgency.” Noades added: “The game revolved around the sending off. I’m not sure whether Woody touched him and the direction the forward was going in was another thing. “But that’s the way it is — referees have their instructions.”

TUESDAY

Athletic all out to grab replay chance

ATHLETIC are set to name a full-strength side tonight as they go all out for glory in the Auto Windscreens Shield. Andy Ritchie has made his intentions clear and, unlike some rival managers, he gives the Shield equal standing with every other competition. Ritchie is determined that his in-form team should beat Stoke City in a second-round tie which is replayed after last week's power cut. Victory would leave them only three rounds from Wembley and a final which would bring prestige, a big day out and some much-needed financial rewards. Ritchie said: "Every competition is important and we want to go all the way in this one. We will be playing our strongest side because this is a good chance to make progress to the next round. "We were losing 1-0 when the game was abandoned last week, so we want to make the most of our second chance. By using the same team, we can also have some continuity and keep building the understanding among the players." Ritchie's only doubt surrounds Mark Hotte, who was due to have more X-rays today after suffering a wrist injury against Brentford on Saturday. If Hotte doesn't make it, Paul Jones will stand in and Ben Futcher will be on the bench. 

Paul Rickers has been struggling with a groin problem for the last three weeks but is expected to be fit. His fellow midfielder, John Sheridan, is likely to start after being rested for the ill-fated match last Tuesday. Admission to tonight's game, which kicks off at 7.45, is £5 for adults and £1 for juniors and OAPs. The tie must be settled this evening, if not in normal time then by the golden goal rule or a penalty shoot-out. 

ATHLETIC (from): Kelly, S McNiven, Garnett, Hotte, Adams, Holt, Rickers, Duxbury, Sheridan, Allott, Whitehall, Miskelly, Jones, Innes, Tipton, Beavers, Futcher. 

STOKE (from): Ward, Mohan, Jacobson, Kippe, Hansson, Gunnarsson, O'Connor, Clarke, G Kavanagh, Thorne, Lightbourne, Gislason, Petty, Connor, Keen, Oldfield, Robinson, Fraser.

Athletic striker David McNiven, who is available on a free transfer, is having trials with Halifax in a bid to earn a move to the third division club. Rochdale have shelved their interest Ian McLean after inviting him to training, while there has yet to be any approach for defender Iain Swan.

Ritchie is plotting a course to first base

ATHLETIC have the potential to earn promotion and hold their own as a first division club, manager Andy Ritchie claimed last night. Although Ritchie admitted that the Premiership would probably be a bridge too far, he said “great strides” were being taken by his young team. At last night’s club AGM, Ritchie was asked to lay out his objectives for Athletic’s future. He said: “The goal is to get up into the first division where we truly belong. “To be honest, the Premiership is way out of our grasp for quite some considerable time unless we get a Jack Walker. “We have to be realistic about that. But a good showing in the first division could be easily attainable. “We want promotion either automatically or through the play-offs, as well as to go as far as we can in every cup competition. “We also have to go down the youth route and produce our own players. “If it became inevitable that we had to sell someone, we would then have a ready-made stand-in for the position we had weakened.” To help Ritchie achieve his goal, Athletic are taking action to hang on to the key players who will be out of contract in the summer. Gary Kelly, Scott McNiven, Richard Graham, Mark Hotte, John Sheridan and Mark Allott are among the men whose deals run out at the end of the season. Five, including Sheridan, are now locked in talks with the club, while one player, whose name was not disclosed, is already close to agreeing new terms. Athletic may have sold Boundary Park for £3million — a figure which wiped out their crippling debts — but they still have major financial problems.

Chairman David Brierley said the same situation had persisted for up to 15 years and admitted they would have to “very, very prudent” in order to avoid plunging deep into the red once again. Despite that, Ritchie is under no pressure to jeopardise his plans by selling off the team’s young stars. Financial director Derek Taylor — one of the three men who bought JW Lees’ stake two months ago — told shareholders that alternative steps were being taken in a bid to cut costs. He explained: “Some of the playing staff the manager felt could be released have already gone. “That approach will be continued and other areas will also be looked into. “A report by Deloitte and Touche showed that 18 second division clubs had an operating losses totalling £21million, so we are not alone. “At the end of the day, though, there is only so much you can do and, unfortunately, selling a player to balance the books can become an option. “But there are other options, as well, such as getting into the play-offs or reaching the Auto Windscreens Shield final. “If we continue our success on the field, that produces income and precludes us from having to sell.” The sale of the ground and possible move to a new stadium was the main source of shareholders’ concerns.

Mr Brierley expressed optimism that plans for a new home would soon be approved and said Athletic’s stake would be significant. He went on: “The running costs of Boundary Park are very high and will only get worse. “We would be able to bring in extra revenue, which isn’t possible at the moment, and anything would be a vast improvement on nothing.” Athletic officials were asked whether they had been “legally or morally obliged” to consult with shareholders before selling up to developers Hiretarget. The deal effectively pulled them back from the brink of extinction but meant that, other than players, they were left with few assets as collateral should more bank loans be needed. Club solicitor Peter Jackson replied: “There are a number of missing shareholders — people who have died and no-one knows where their shares have gone. “JW Lees, in effect, could have controlled any meeting because, once you add the shares of the directors, it was well over 50 per cent. “The fact is that selling the ground was the only option at the time. There was simply no choice. “If you are in a situation where the bank is indicating, in very firm terms, that no more money is available, there is a real possibility of the receivers coming in.”

Clubs must pay price for success, says Keegan

THERE is only one route to success for clubs like Athletic — spend, spend, spend. That is the controversial view of England coach Kevin Keegan, who knows all about the harsh realities of life near the bottom of the football ladder. Keegan never had to scrimp and save to bring in a journeyman or rejected youngster but, during his spell in charge of Fulham, he watched from close quarters as many of his second division rivals did just that. And, with the experience behind him, he believes even top-class coaching needs to be backed up by hard cash. Fulham won promotion thanks to Mohammed Al Fayed’s personal fortune, one which was dipped into frequently by the man who now control’s our Euro 2000 and World Cup destinies. Keegan says investment is vital to any club in Athletic’s position. Either that or — not that he expects it to happen — look into the dreaded merger with your footballing neighbours. When we met at FA headquarters in Lancaster Gate, Keegan stressed that throwing money at a problem might not always solve it. Clubs like Wolves and Reading have failed to deliver, while others — most notably Walsall — have prospered on a small budget. But Keegan said: “In football terms, no way of getting out of the lower divisions is more effective than another. “What you have to do is to give the right finance to the right people and get them to spend it on the right players. There is another problem if you don’t have the finance because people start looking at your younger players and, if they offer three million, they’re off. It’s a vicious circle: players naturally want to better themselves. “If you look at the top of the first division, and also the second now with Wigan, it’s the clubs putting the money in who are having the success.

“Oldham have been up there and they have fulfilled the dream, if you like. But money is the only guaranteed way forward and, even then, you have to spend it right and have a bit of luck. “I was very fortunate at Fulham to have Mr Fayed there. I had an unlimited budget and I exceeded it! I spent £500,000 on Ian Selley from Arsenal and, three games later, he broke his leg. “Then I bought Chris Coleman, who had had a ruptured Achilles, and everything went great. You have to take a gamble and sometimes it works. But if you have money to spend you might need a little less luck.” Keegan is as forthright and honest in private as he is before a mass audience. He wears his heart on his sleeve and is always concerned that his opinion should be made as clear as possible. Media misinterpretation, whether deliberate or not, does not go down well. With the Premiership and upper rungs of Division One almost monopolising revenue and attention, he is also aware of the problems facing football’s forgotten men. Keegan said: “The first division is pretty healthy. Gates are high and there are a lot of bigger clubs. If you look at the top eight or nine, maybe with the exception of Stockport, they are all teams you would expect to be in there. “So it’s healthy at the top, but I’m not so sure about the second and third divisions. I’ve sold players to the third and I know what money they are on. Sometimes I wonder how they do it, how these clubs keep going. “The standards in the lower leagues aren’t set. Sometimes it surprised me at Fulham and sometimes it disappointed me — it depends what game you are at. “You see poor Premiership matches, but I’ve seen some cracking games in division two. One of the problems is that people see a bad one and, very unfortunately, say some of these guys shouldn’t even be professional footballers.” And so, finally, to the touchy subject of smaller clubs merging to form a bigger, more powerful and more viable unit. The issue raised its head 12 months ago when the then Athletic chairman, Ian Stott — who is now one of Keegan’s FA paymasters — admitted to having informal talks with two of his North-West counterparts.

Without prompting, Keegan suggested: “If the best option is bringing teams together — as Oldham thought about with, I think, Rochdale (Bury were also involved) — then that could be the thing to do. But sometimes, what is sensible from a financial point of view is the biggest disaster there could possibly be for the fans. “I’m sure joining Liverpool and Everton, for example, would be a very sensible thing to do for a massive PLC. “But the Evertonians or Liverpudlians, well . . . they might say something different.”

Wednesday

Kelly accepts new Athletic contract

GOALKEEPER Gary Kelly could end his career with Athletic after signing a new contract to the summer of 2002. The 33-year-old is the first of several senior players whose futures Athletic hope to secure soon. Talks are at an advanced stage with John Sheridan and Mark Hotte, while Scott McNiven and Mark Allott are also ready to begin negotiations. Ironically, on the day he signed up, Kelly made the error which led to Athletic losing on the golden-goal rule in last night's Auto Windscreens Shield match against Stoke. But manager Andy Ritchie said he was delighted to keep hold of the club's undisputed number one. "He didn't have the best of starts last season but, since then, he has been excellent," Ritchie said. "It's a specialist position and there aren't a lot of top-quality 'keepers around." Kelly's deal means his talented understudy, David Miskelly, will again be frustrated in his bid for a first-team breakthrough. The Northern Ireland under-21 star has managed only two senior appearances despite showing fine form in the reserves. Ritchie explained that he was trying to aid Miskelly's development by sending him out on loan. "If Gary Kelly got injured or had a dip in form, David would go straight into the side. He knows that," Ritchie added. "He also knows how well Gary has been playing and it was his idea to go out and gain some more experience." Last night's attendance of 4,682 was a pleasant surprise to Athletic, who had slashed prices for the often-derided Shield competition. 

The crowd was up more than a thousand on last week's abandoned game, with both clubs bringing more fans to the replay. Athletic chief executive Alan Hardy paid tribute to supporters and revealed that, depending on the opposition, cut-price admission could well be offered for future cup games. He added: "The decision to give out vouchers to people at the first game obviously paid off. "Most of them came back to get in for nothing and a further thousand paid on the gate. "Fans deserve a pat on the back, particularly as the fog must have put doubts in people's minds about whether the game would go ahead." Richard Graham and Jordan Tait continue their comebacks for the reserves at Tranmere tonight, while Finnish trialist Tero Karhu has his last chance to impress. Reserves (from): Miskelly, Tait, Futcher, Jones, Graham, Roberts, Karhu, Walsh, Innes, Tipton, Beavers, Wardle, Sugden, Gardiner, Boshell, McLoughlin, Campbell. 

Stoke strike gold after Kelly’s slip

ATHLETIC 0, STOKE CITY 1

JUST when neither side deserves to lose, along comes a game which one of them has to win. We were only four minutes away from a penalty shoot-out last night when James O’Connor scored the golden goal which sent Stoke into the third round of the Auto Windscreens Shield. A tie that had first been abandoned after a power cut — and must have come close to being called off again due to fog — therefore had the dramatic ending which had somehow seemed inevitable. That will be no consolation to dejected Athletic, or particularly goalkeeper Gary Kelly, who was at fault for the winner. For reasons both footballing and financial, they had treated this competition with the utmost respect and strained every sinew to move one step closer to Wembley. But Stoke, having been denied last week when leading 1-0, can claim that justice was done. They managed to hold out the longer and had the best chances of a game which, until reaching an abrupt end in the 116th minute, was rarely short of incident. As well as a place in the next round, there was a real feeling that pride was at stake between two teams who were in excellent form. That gave the match an edge which last week’s encounter had been lacking and, although Athletic eventually lost, they can take comfort from competing so well against the second division’s fourth-placed club. The number of goal attempts — a splendid total of 19 apiece — showed how closely matched the protagonists had been. Stoke showed the greater quality, but Athletic again compensated by keeping their shape and working as though their lives depended on it.

The omission of John Sheridan last week wasn’t only a chance to give the old man’s legs a much-needed rest. It also allowed Athletic to see how they could manage without the brains of their operation. The answer had been simple — not very well. While Neil Adams was an adequate replacement, they missed Sheridan’s ability to coax team-mates into dangerous areas. With that skill back in their armoury, Athletic’s link between defence and attack was restored to normality. It needed to be, because Stoke were also at full strength and, under new manager Gudjon Thordarson, have found the defensive backbone which could well lead to promotion. The fog which enveloped Oldham for most of the day left Boundary Park looking like a scene from Dickensian London. The only thing needed to complete the picture was a soot-covered chimney sweep to emerge from the Chaddy End wearing rags and a cheeky, Cockney grin. After a 7.15pm inspection, referee Trevor Jones gave the game the go-ahead. But just one thought. A yellow ball is used in Football League matches so why, in a tournament run by the same organisation, could one not be found for such murky conditions? Stoke were first to pierce the gloom, with outstanding defender Nicky Mohan heading wide from a free-kick in the sixth minute. Otherwise it was Athletic — with Lee Duxbury playing like Mr Angry — who took charge of the early exchanges. Duxbury’s 20-yard drive was on target until being deflected wide and, from an Adams corner, Mark Allott glanced his header over the top.

Stoke, however, created two openings in quick succession, leaving their hosts indebted to ‘keeper Kelly. First, Graham Kavanagh’s free-kick was well held after fizzing through the defensive wall, then Kelly dived in bravely to block at the feet of Paul Connor. After 32 minutes, Stoke goalkeeper Gavin Ward was also called into action, tipping over an ambitious effort from the left boot of Scott McNiven. Kelly palmed away Kavanagh’s shot as the pendulum swung again and, after Andrew Holt gave the ball away close to goal, the same Stoke midfielder hacked way off target when he had time to show more composure. Allott’s quick turn and shot warmed Ward’s hands in the 50th minute before Kavanagh ran 40 yards to bring a good stop from Kelly. At that stage, the match deserved a goal. When it didn’t get one, play became increasingly scrappy and errors crept in. Both managers made substitutions, Athletic bolstering their attacking options with Matthew Tipton in midfield and Paul Beavers, who returned to a cheer after more than four months out, replacing the disappointing Steve Whitehall. But they still needed Kelly to rescue them twice more, blocking from Mikael Hansson and the ubiquitous Kavanagh when left in one-on-one situations. When Adams and Duxbury both went close for Athletic with seven minutes remaining, it was clear that neither side fancied sudden-death extra time. That was their fate, however, and striker Kyle Lightbourne promptly blasted over for Stoke when unmarked in the centre. Sheridan volleyed straight at Ward before, in the 99th minute, the ‘keeper made his best save of the night to beat away a vicious 20-yarder from Beavers. As the tie moved into the second period of extra time, tiredness began to kick in. Alongside it grew fears that an individual error would, rather cruelly, decide the outcome. And it duly arrived from the unlikely source of Kelly, who until then had given an almost faultless performance. After sub Paul Jones was punished for a foul, Kavanagh floated his free kick into the mass of bodies eight yards from goal. It took a couple of deflections and Kelly, having looked to have the ball in his grasp, allowed O’Connor’s final touch to elude him and bounce agonisingly over the line.