1st March 2000    

3 more on list
IOM tournament details

ATHLETIC dropped another transfer bombshell today by listing three more first-team players —Mark Innes, Matthew Tipton and Paul Beavers. They hope to sell the youngsters before this month's transfer deadline, slashing the wage bill and making room for new signings. After an operating loss of £1million last year, the Boundary Park club have spent several months trying to sell off their fringe players. Innes, Tipton and Beavers are the latest victims of that no-nonsense approach, with Athletic claiming their careers have ground to a halt. Manager Andy Ritchie said: "All three have shown good promise and I really believe they have good futures in the game. "But there comes a time when a change is beneficial — it happened to me and I never looked back."

Athletic now have eight men on the transfer list and, earlier in the season, terminated the contracts of five more. Mark Allott and Scott McNiven were put on the list after refusing new deals, while Ian McLean, David McNiven and Iain Swan can all go for free. Athletic could rake in around £50,000 each for midfielder Innes (21) and striker Tipton (19). But they would be lucky to get a fee for Beavers, the 21-year-old centre-forward signed for nothing at the start of the season. Beavers was the number-one summer target after helping Athletic beat the drop while on loan from Sunderland. He has since been plagued by injury and has made only three senior starts. Tipton — a Welsh under-21 international at the age of 17 — was always a prolific marksman in Athletic's junior sides. He has failed to carry that form into the first team, scoring twice in 54 league appearances, over half of them as a substitute. 

The surprise cast-off is Innes, who began the campaign as the club's latest jewel in the crown. The Scot emerged as a key figure in the relegation battle and looked destined for greater heights. Yet his form has slumped and Athletic believe youngsters like Danny Boshell and Phil Salt have a brighter future at Boundary Park. Beavers was under contract until 2001, Innes to 2002 and Tipton to 2003. Chief executive Alan Hardy said: "We are working to keep the club on an even keel, while trying to become more competitive and plan for the future. "Our decision does not reflect the players' ability but our current staffing levels and wider responsibilities as employers. "We believe it will be of great benefit to them to kick-start their careers elsewhere and, if we can bring in some funds, this will help Andy strengthen the side in other areas."