24th December 1999 

Jones to make his debut

ATHLETIC must beat the fear factor if they are to deliver a Christmas pick-me-up to 'flu-hit manager Andy Ritchie. That's the verdict of Ritchie himself, who is desperate for his side to repeat their away form in Sunday's clash with Scunthorpe at Boundary Park (3pm). It has become a trend of Ritchie's reign for Athletic to pick up points on their travels, only to ruin all the good work in front of their own fans. After last week's convincing display at Cambridge, Boxing Day brings another chance to lay that ghost to rest. Ritchie admitted: "We have to start winning our home games more consistently. "We are doing well away because we play with much more freedom. "It's time we started doing the same thing at Boundary Park — time we stopped going out and looking so apprehensive. "The players sometimes look as though they are worried. They seem to feel that, if they aren't 2-0 up in the first 15 minutes, the crowd will start to get on their backs." Athletic will have to tread carefully if they are to avoid a glut of New Year suspensions. Three players are now one booking away from a ban, while another needs only two more yellow cards to be consigned to a spell on the sidelines. Mark Hotte will be the first ruled out this season after seeing red at Preston. John Sheridan and Matthew Tipton have been joined by Lee Duxbury as players on four bookings —one short of a suspension —while Shaun Garnett's caution at Cambridge took him to three. Hotte's absence means Paul Jones looks certain to make his league debut a month after signing from non-league Leigh RMI. 

ATHLETIC (probable): Kelly, S McNiven, Holt, Garnett, Jones, Rickers, Adams, Duxbury, Sheridan, Allott, Whitehall. Subs: Futcher, Innes, Tipton, Dudley, Miskelly. Scunthorpe boss Brian Laws is set to name an all-African strike force after signing Manny Omoyimni on loan from West Ham. The Nigerian was the man who caused the Worthington Cup row between the Hammers and Aston Villa when he made a brief appearance despite being cup-tied. Omoyimni is expected to make his debut alongside Cameroon-born Guy Ipoua.

Plans lodged to build houses on Boundary Park

A DEVELOPER has submitted a planning application to build houses on the site of Oldham Athletic's ground. 

The new owner of the site, Hiretarget Ltd, has put in the bid for outline planning permission for the land covering the current ground, training pitch, car parks, and rough areas. It will now be considered by members of the Planning Committee. Mr Keith Coates, the Director of Economic Development for Oldham Council and a director of Hiretarget, said the application was a fail-safe in case the Charity Commission failed to approve a swap for the land and Clayton playing fields. 

The company has already applied to build a new stadium on the Clayton fields, with the fields effectively being transferred to the current Boundary Park site. If the land swap is approved by the Charity Commission, the residential development application would become void. Mr Coates said: ``It is a fail-safe, covering the position if the land swoop fails to go through. ``In any case, nothing can be done with the site for at least five years as Oldham Athletic have the lease for that time. ``They also have an option to renew the lease, which would also prevent anything being done on the land.'' He added: ``If Clayton playing fields is taken for the stadium, Boundary Park will be the replacement, making this application null and void.'' 

There are said to be two other possible sites for a new stadium should the Charity Commission reject the deal. A bid to turn Clayton playing fields into a town green could also mean the Boundary Park site used for housing. The area of land subject to the application is bounded by Sheepfoot Lane, and Furtherwood Road in front of Boundary Park. It excludes Clayton Arms sports hall and club, and the Martin Darlington Transport premises, in Sheepfoot Lane. The boundary runs along the top of Clayton playing fields to houses in Downham Close, and along the back of these homes and those in Carlton Way, along Plumpton Clough and back to Sheepfoot Lane.