The Daily On-line e-zine for 158 Oldham Athletic Supporters Worldwide
Today's Edition for
3rd March 2000
Today's Headlines
The Daily On-line e-zine for 158 Oldham Athletic Supporters Worldwide
Today's Edition for
3rd March 2000
Today's Headlines
MARK INNES will parade his skills before potential buyers tomorrow when Athletic make the short hop to North-West rivals Bury. Innes, who hasn't started a game for three months, was surprisingly transfer-listed this week after failing to nail down a regular place. Ironically, the 21-year-old is now set for a recall as Athletic bid to overcome their disciplinary problems. Three players are banned for the match at Gigg Lane, giving Innes the chance to step into a much-changed midfield. The only threat to his place comes from teenager Danny Boshell, whose recent form has seen him fast-tracked into the senior squad. But Innes has more experience and, against Bristol Rovers last week, was given a substitute spot ahead of his younger rival. With Lee Duxbury serving a one-match ban, Athletic are relieved to welcome back a fit-again John Sheridan. Innes and Sheridan will be joined in midfield by Richard Graham, with Paul Rickers moving to right wing-back in place of the injured Neil Adams.
As Mark Hotte is also suspended for collecting five yellow cards, Paul Jones will play at centre-back. The third player hit by a ban is striker Matthew Tipton, so Ryan Sugden will again be on the bench — as could be another cast-off, Paul Beavers. Despite a week of controversy which has seen five players put up for sale, manager Andy Ritchie insists there will be no problem with focusing on the game. He said: "That kind of thing isn't a distraction. The players know the situation and just get on with it. "It will be as difficult a game as it would have been anyway. It's a local derby and they always generate a lot of passion."
ATHLETIC (probable): Kelly, S McNiven, Jones, Garnett, Rickers, Holt, Graham, Sheridan, Innes, Dudley, Whitehall. Subs (from): Miskelly, Thom, Boshell, Sugden, Walsh, Futcher, Beavers.
After 223 consecutive appearances, Bury skipper Nick Daws is ruled out by suspension. The Shakers, whose side is likely to include former Athletic stars Steve Redmond, Paul Reid and Adrian Littlejohn, are woefully out of form. They were also the first side to lose to Athletic this season, prompting caretaker-manager Andy Preece to aim for revenge. "We owe our fans a good performance after our last two games and the way we played at Oldham earlier in the season," Preece said.
BURY (from): Kenny, Barrass, Barrick, Swailes, Redmond, Bullock, Billy, Reid, James, Barnes, Littlejohn, Avdiu, Preece, Forrest, Bhutia, Williams, Souter, Linighan.
Sales talk clouds derby showdown
ATHLETIC’S derby match at Bury tomorrow is in danger of being overshadowed by both sides’ off-field dramas. Bury have such massive financial problems that they could have to sell an entire team’s worth of players before the transfer deadline, two weeks on Thursday. Chairman Terry Robinson admits 11 men might have to go as The Shakers adapt to life outside the top two divisions. The talk among Athletic fans, meanwhile, is sure to be of contracts, rejections and the decision to transfer-list five members of the first-team squad. It certainly provides an intriguing backdrop to a game both sides need to win if they are to kill off any threat of a relegation fight. At Boundary Park, Athletic now have eight men officially up for transfer, including a quartet of strikers in David McNiven, Mark Allott, Paul Beavers and Matthew Tipton.
That leaves Steve Whitehall, Craig Dudley and Ryan Sugden as the only forwards sure to be with the club at the end of the month. It is highly unlikely that all four of those on the transfer list will be snapped up soon. But the loss of a couple of them would mean manager Andy Ritchie buying a striker as much out of necessity as desire. If Athletic are to bring in new blood before the March 23 deadline, they must first lighten the load on their wage bill. But by making so many players available (albeit Allott and Scott McNiven were listed reluctantly) they are also clearing the path for their next batch of youngsters. Many were surprised when Mark Innes was made available this week, less than a year after he exploded on to the scene. Athletic argue that Innes has stood still since that time in the limelight — in fact, he may even have regressed — and has either been passed, or is about to be passed, by Danny Boshell, Phil Salt and Danny Walsh.Up front, meanwhile, promising 19-year-old Sugden has been stuck in a queue for the regular reserve-team football he needs.
With 33 professionals on their books, Athletic are still overburdened. And how many second division clubs use a rotation system to make sure all their players get a game in the reserves? Whatever the rights and wrongs of Athletic’s ruthless approach this week, at least they aren’t in imminent danger of bankruptcy. That is the threat facing Bury, who recently went cap in hand to their local council asking for a loan. The appeal fell on deaf ears, leaving The Shakers desperate for some revenue to keep them ticking over. The hope is that new owners will buy out Hugh Eaves, a maverick majority shareholder who disappeared after losing millions on the stock market. Eaves eventually turned up in the Far East. He had already resigned from the club’s board — saying he was tired of the fans’ abuse — and it would be no surprise to see him sell up altogether. In the meantime, Bury have accepted defeat in their bid for a quick return to division one. They made a reasonable start to the season but are now in 16th position, a point and two places below Athletic. They suffered major upheaval when Neil Warnock left Gigg Lane to take his dream job with boyhood idols Sheffield United. Since then, their cash problems have seen Ian Lawson — the top scorer for whom Athletic bid £60,000 before Christmas — move to Stockport for a cut-price £150,000. Warnock was initially replaced by joint caretaker-managers, with striker Andy Preece and former Athletic defender Steve Redmond taking the reins. Preece now has overall charge, Redmond is his number two and the pair are tipped to remain in place until Bury can afford a full-time replacement. But recent form has been poor and the last match at Gigg Lane brought defeat against lowly Cambridge. The crowd that night only just reached 3,000 — it never rains but it pours when a club hits the downward slide.
Key trio Lee Duxberry, Mark Hotte and Neil Adams are set to miss tomorrow's Lancashire derby clash at Bury. Skipper Duxberry and defender Hotte will miss the trip to Gigg Lane because of one match bans, while Adams foot injury is likely to keep him out for a month. There is some welcome news though for Andy Ritchie, with the influential John Sheridan set to make a return in centre of midfield following a recent neck injury. Transfer listed Mark Innes, who's not started a game for three months, has also been called into the squad. While defender Paul Jones is set to make only his third start since joining the Latics from non league Leigh RMI.
Bury were the first scalp of the season for the Latics, and Andy Ritchie has warned they will be out for revenge. Ritchie said: "They are not doing particularly well, having lost a few games on the bounce. But all that goes out of the window in a derby game." He added: "Their players will be ready to go through brick walls and we are going to have to match them." "I don't think it will be a great game of football, but you can guarantee it will be a real battle."
Bury's longest serving player, skipper Nick Daws, misses his first game tomorrow since a third division match at Barnet in December 1995. He is kept out of the home clash with Oldham by suspension following a run of appearing in 223 consecutive matches for Bury. Boss Andy Preece said: "It's amazing that Nick hasn't been injured or suspended playing as he does in midfield and it's testimony to how well he looks after himself. "I'd like to know how many other outfield players have put in a run as long as that - there can't be many. "He'll be disappointed but it gives someone else the chance to stake a claim for a first team place, even as skipper he isn't guaranteed his place and everyone is treated the same." Preece is likely to rely on the squad that travelled to Wycombe plus Darren Bullock who is back from suspension and in good form having scored the winner in the reserves 2-1 midweek victory over Rochdale. Striker Paul Barnes and full-back Paul Williams are awaiting fitness tests on their ankle and groin problems respectively. The manager is very keen to get the team back on a winning run. He said: "Tomorrow's match is a massive one for us and coming on the back of two defeats it makes it an even bigger game. "We owe our fans a good performance after our last home game and the way we played at Oldham earlier in the season, we were very poor in both." "Hopefully we will put the smiles back on their faces again and it's sure to be a game of passion." Oldham line-up without captain Lee Duxbury and defender Mark Hotte who both face one-match bans while Neil Adams is sidelined with a foot injury. On the brighter side for the Latics is the return of John Sheridan.
One notable absentee
from the Shakers line-up will be skipper Nick Daws who misses his first
game since a Third Division clash at Barnet in December 1995. Suspension
keeps the club's longest serving player out of the reckoning following
an unbelievable run of 223 matches. "It's amazing that Nick hasn't been
injured or suspended playing as he does in midfield and it's testimony
to how well he looks after himself," said Preece. "I'd like to know how
many other outfield players have ever put in a run as long as that -- there
can't be many. "He'll be disappointed but it gives someone else a chance
to stake a claim for a first team place, even as skipper he isn't guaranteed
his place and everyone is treated the same." Daws apart, Preece must wait
for fitness tests on striker Paul Barnes (ankle) and full-back Paul Williams
(groin) and will rely on the squad that played at Wycombe plus Darren Bullock
who is back from suspension. Bullock grabbed the winner in the reserves
2-1 victory over Rochdale on Wednesday with Gary Messer the other Shakers
scorer.