Welcome
to today's issue of
BOUNDARY
BULLET-zine
The
Daily On-line e-zine for 246
Oldham Athletic Supporters
Worldwide
Today's
Edition for
20th June 2000
Welcome to a
new subscriber in Brisbane and California
Today's
Headlines
Alan
Smith for BP on loan?
The David
Brierley interview Alan
Hardy telephoned me today (Tuesday) to apologise for the delay in returning
Mr. Brierley's responses to our questions. He said that I would have them
in the next couple of day's.
Oldham
Evening Chronicle
Leeds
striker may be Latics-bound
TEENAGE
sensation Alan Smith could be heading for Boundary Park in the first major
move of Athletic's new link-up with Leeds. The
highly-rated striker, who is tipped to become an England star of the future,
is a potential loan target after losing his place at Elland Road. Leeds
are set to complete the £7 million signing of Celtic's Mark Viduka,
adding to a strikeforce which includes Michael Bridges, Darren Huckerby
and Harry Kewell. Smith (19) looks certain
to be squeezed out — and Athletic could pounce with the guarantee of regular
first-team football. Unless there is movement on the transfer front, hard-up
Athletic will try to strengthen their hand with short-term signings. Junior
Agogo arrived from Sheffield Wednesday at the start of last season, but
Leeds is now the obvious place to look for talent. Although football chiefs
have yet to give the go-ahead, Athletic and Leeds expect to pool their
youth-development resources in the next few weeks.
A
special relationship is already developing and both sides would benefit
if Smith had a spell in the second division. Manager
Andy Ritchie, who stays in regular contact with Leeds boss David O'Leary,
is desperate for a new striker to help launch Athletic's assault on promotion. Smith,
despite being only 5ft 8ins, is renowned for his battling attitude and
the physical presence Ritchie requires. But those same qualities have also
landed the youngster in trouble and, in a stop-start season, he was booked
10 times in 25 starts. Sources suggest
that O'Leary — currently away at Euro 2000 working for the BBC — wants
Smith to taste the rough and tumble of life in the lower divisions.
As
well as giving him extra experience, it would be a warning that ability
must be allied to attitude in the rarefied atmosphere of the Premiership.
Smith signed a lucrative five-year contract last year after hitting nine
goals in his first 16 games as a partner for Dutchman Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank. But
there is every chance that Athletic and Leeds could reach an agreement
over wages, even if the loan deal was extended to around three months.
Teamtalk
Oldham
Kelly's
international hope
Gary Kelly
may be 34 but he still harbours hopes to winning that elusive first international
cap. The Latics stopper, who played some of his best football of his career
last season, thought he had a chance when he got a call last season. He
was included in the Republic of Ireland squad for their Euro 2000 qualifier
with Turkey last December, but unfortunately didn't make the side. He said:
"I have been involved in about 15 squads and it goes without saying that
it is an honour to represent your country. "Obviously it would be nice
to win that first cap, but I don't get overly concerned about it. I firmly
believe that if it is destined to happen then it will." Kelly recently
signed a new contract which will keep him at Boundary Park for another
two years.
More
details soon
There
will be more details on the new Oldham Stadium released later this month.
There has been a lot of speculation on how Boundary Park is going to be
redeveloped but so far there is no actual planning brief on the table.
However, one theory that has already been discounted is turning the pitch
through 90 degrees to face Broadway. This has been put forward before,
but it would mean flattening the entire stadium and starting from scratch.
What is far more likely to happen is to retain the ground as it stands
but do major development on the Broadway and Sheepfoot Lane sides.
Contributions
and letters should be sent to Gary
Davies by e-mail at [email protected].Boundary
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