4th April 2000     

Leeds take 9.9% stake
joint academy on cards

LEEDS UNITED were today confirmed as the new 9.9 per cent shareholders in cash-strapped Athletic. The Premiership giants have struck a ground-breaking deal with the Boundary Park club, who stand to gain "significant financial benefits". As the Chronicle revealed exclusively yesterday, the two parties had been locked in talks for the last three months — and it was Athletic chairman David Brierley who made the first move. Leeds agreed to buy a stake for a "nominal sum" through their subsidiary, Leeds Sporting Youth Development Ltd, and the clubs will jointly fund a new Centre of Excellence at Boundary Park.Athletic, who made a loss of £1million last season, are keen to stress that they will continue to operate as an independent club but point out that, without this pioneering link, it would be impossible for them to sustain a Centre of Excellence. 

Leeds stand second in the Premiership and, in a season of resurgence, are also in the UEFA Cup semi-finals. Much of their success is built on a flourishing youth system which has seen stars like Harry Kewell, Jonathan Woodgate and Ian Harte shoot on to the international stage. Athletic also have a fine record for producing home-grown talent and, with no money to spend in the transfer market, that has become crucial to their survival. But the cost of running an FA-approved centre can reach £500,000 per year — a figure Athletic are totally unable to match. Thanks to this historic agreement, they could now join their new partners in an Academy which nurtures players on both sides of the Pennines. In the longer term, Athletic could also be a finishing school for youngsters who are on the fringe of the Yorkshire club's Premiership team. Leeds will have first pick of any youth talent provided through the Centre of Excellence. Latics will have second pick, Leeds the third, and so on. But, should Leeds want to sign any of Athletic's young players, either at youth level or later in their careers, they will have to pay a negotiated transfer fee or compensation package. 

YOUTH will get its fling tonight when in-form Athletic hand full league debuts to teenagers Ryan Sugden and Danny Boshell. The promising duo will line up against Stoke City at Boundary Park (kick-off 7.45) after forcing their way into contention with superb showings in the reserves. John Sheridan is rested and Mark Allott will also sit it out with a sore hamstring which boss Andy Ritchie does not want to risk. On the day Athletic announced the link-up with Leeds United — a deal which could have major benefits for the Boundary Park youth system — 11 members of their 16-man squad are aged 21 or under. Striker Sugden (19) has played a dozen league games as substitute and gets his chance tonight because of the hamstring injuries to Allott and Craig Dudley. Boshell (18), a passing midfielder, broke into the senior squad seven weeks ago, but is thrown in at the deep end after playing only 21 minutes of league football. 

Said Ritchie: “If you’re good enough, you’re old enough. And this is an ideal opportunity to have a look at both lads. “It isn’t experimentation because they have looked very sharp and have warranted getting their chance. “In fact, I’m hoping to get one or two more youngsters in before the end of the season. We certainly aren’t afraid of blooding them. “For John Sheridan, three games in a week is a bit too much these days and he will be given a complete rest. “The same goes for Mark Allott because his hamstring is still sore and we obviously don’t want him to pull it again.” Phil Salt, a midfield man who is recovering from complex surgery on his ankle, is named in the squad for the first time since August. The 21-year-old will be on the bench alongside Mark Innes (also 21), David Miskelly (20) and teenagers Matthew Tipton and Ben Futcher. 

Athletic: Kelly, Jones, Garnett, Hotte, S McNiven, Holt, Rickers, Duxbury, Boshell, Sugden, Whitehall. Subs: Miskelly, Futcher, Salt, Innes, Tipton. 

Stoke are in the heart of the play-off race and arrive at Boundary Park defending an unbeaten run of seven matches. Ritchie said: “We have played them three times already this season and it has been a close game every time.” 

Stoke (from): Ward, Gunnarsson, Mohan, Dryden, Clarke, Gudjonsson, Gunnlaugsson, Kavanagh, O’Connor, Thorne, Lightbourne, Hansson, Jacobsen, Iwellumo, Melton, Muggleton. 

TRANSFER-LISTED striker Matthew Tipton has come under fire from his manager after disappearing from the first-team picture. The enigmatic 19-year-old is out of favour with boss Andy Ritchie, who believes the player’s problems are mostly in the mind. So far, Tipton has failed to live up to the early promise which saw him marked down as a future star. It is well over two years since he broke into the side, but he has rarely looked farther away from becoming a regular. Ritchie said: “Matthew has come to something of a cross-roads — and he needs to sort himself out. “He isn’t being positive enough when he plays and he isn’t doing the things he is capable of doing. “This has become an important time for him. The best thing he could do now is to get his head down and battle.”

Tipton — a Wales under-21 international at the age of 17 — has still managed only two league goals and has also suffered disciplinary problems. He looked on course for a rare run in the team when Mark Allott pulled a hamstring in February, but then blew his chance by getting sent off at Millwall. That red card for violent conduct landed him a three-game ban which was extended to four when he collected his fifth booking of the season. He hasn’t had a look-in since and was put on the transfer list when Athletic tried, unsuccessfully, to clear the decks before last month’s deadline. Tipton, who has scored eight times for the reserves this season, is now behind fellow teenager Ryan Sugden in the manager’s order of preference. Ritchie’s disappointment with his stagnation is clear. He often names two replacement strikers when Athletic play at home but, on Saturday, Tipton didn’t make a 17-man squad in which Sugden was the only cover. Ritchie added: “I don’t know if being put on the transfer list has had an adverse effect on him, although that is a possibility. “It can tend to have one of two outcomes — and it’s up to Matthew to rectify the situation by going out on the pitch and proving himself.”

TRIALIST Wassim El Banna has returned to Denmark after failing to land a contract at Boundary Park. The Palestinian-born forward didn’t meet Athletic’s requirements and wasn’t thought good enough to become a second division regular. El Banna (20) made a lively start when he played half a game for the reserves against Manchester United. He missed chances, however, and the same problem cropped up in both of last week’s matches against Burnley.

GROUNDSMAN Jack Walker is praying for a dry April after seeing match after match arranged for his troublesome Boundary Park pitch.Last weekend’s game with Cambridge was the first of 11 fixtures set for this month and, as there are drainage problems, that could cause a huge headache for Jack and his staff. Athletic are due to play senior matches against Stoke City (tonight), Wigan (April 11), Chesterfield (April 18), Cardiff (April 22) and Blackpool (April 29). The reserves are at home to Grimsby (April 13) and West Brom (April 19). There are also three rugby league matches to fit in, with the Roughyeds at home on April 9 and 24 and the Standard Cup final being played on April 21. It must have been quite a relief to hear the Pontins League Cup semi-final draw, which gave Athletic an away tie at Scunthorpe. That match will be played on Thursday, April 20 (7pm), making it a hectic week for the reserves as they are also in action the night before. With the first team playing on the Tuesday, there will be no rest for the ardent fan.

Having attracted youngsters below 16 from further afield to the Oldham camp, Leeds would then be able to sign those players once they have passed that age. As part of the agreement between the two clubs, Leeds Sporting PLC, who own Leeds United, have formed a subsidiary known as Leeds Sporting Youth  development Limited. It is through this company Leeds will fund Oldham's centre of excellence, and in addition they have also taken a 9.9% stake in Athletic for a nominal sum. The stake is for financial investment purposes only and means neither Leeds Sporting nor Leeds United will take any part or have any influence, directly or indirectly, in the management of Oldham. "There is no conflict of interests," stressed Ridsdale. "The purpose is not to manage another football club at a distance. That is precluded from the rules and is fair and sensible. "Whether other clubs follow our lead is up to them. But we see it as a very good way forward." 

Their chairman David Brierley said: “Initially the benefits to us will be at youth level but there is every possibility that, as the working relationship develops, there will be other tangible playing benefits at first team level, possibly via loan players.” Leeds have a vast number of young players on their books who rarely or never see Premiership action. United have a similar arrangement with Dublin-based club Home Farm. Oldham currently lie 11th in Division Two.