Welcome
to today's issue of
BOUNDARY
BULLET-zine
The
Daily On-line e-zine for 163
Oldham Athletic Supporters
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Today's
Edition for
6th April 2000
Today's
Headlines
Oldham
Evening Chronicle
Allott
set for Latics return
MARK
ALLOTT’S return from injury provides Athletic with added firepower for
Saturday’s league match at Bournemouth.
The
striker, Athletic’s 11-goal leading marksman, missed Tuesday’s home defeat
by Stoke with a sore hamstring. Manager Andy Ritchie wisely decided to
rest the 22-year-old in view of the hamstring troubles he has endured in
the past couple of months.
But
Allott’s inclusion in the squad for Saturday provides Ritchie with more
attacking options as Craig Dudley is again missing — also with a hamstring
strain. Ritchie will choose his front pairing from Steve Whitehall, Ryan
Sugden — who made his full league debut against Stoke — Allott and Matthew
Tipton.
Midfield
ace John Sheridan, rested against Stoke to enable Danny Boshell to make
his full league debut, is named in Athletic’s 18-strong squad. Coach Bill
Urmson was pleased with the displays of teenagers Sugden and Boshell against
Stoke.
He
added that now Athletic are safe they want to give youngsters an opportunity
they might not otherwise have had. “We would like to look at one or two
of the young players, though we cannot put too many in at one time,” explained
Urmson, who added they still want to win their remaining matches and finish
as high as possible. Athletic’s party for the Bournemouth match is: Kelly,
S McNiven, Jones, Garnett, Hotte, Holt, Duxbury, Sheridan, Innes, Allott,
Sugden, Miskelly, Rickers, Futcher, Whitehall, Boshell.
Futcher
stars in reserves’ victory
MAN
UNITED RES 0,ATHLETIC RES 2
ATHLETIC
ended United’s perfect record in the Manchester Senior Cup with a solid
all-round performance at The Cliff. In
this final group match — contested by the two teams already through to
the final — Athletic moved on to level points with The Reds, with five
wins out of six. Two trialists played
against a very young United side, Newcastle’s Andy Walker and Dale Crawford,
a striker from Leeds. Crawford struggled
to get into the game, but Walker made some bright runs from his position
in midfield. In the same area, Mark Innes did well whenever he was allowed
room to pass. The man of the match, though,
was Ben Futcher, who had a blinder at the back and was also a menace at
Athletic’s set-pieces. Athletic began
in confident style, with Futcher and Crawford having attempts at goal in
the first five minutes. They suffered
a blow when Stuart Thom went off injured but retained the upper hand with
some good approach work. Paul Rachubka,
United’s California-born ‘keeper, made a smart save from Matthew Tipton
as Athletic moved closer to a breakthrough. It
came in the 35th minute when a corner was flicked on by Futcher and young
defender Will Haining popped up at the far post for a simple finish.
Athletic
goalkeeper David Miskelly pulled off a superb save from Josh Walker to
keep the lead intact before half-time. Substitute
Jon Froggatt almost doubled it instead, before Tipton did just that after
65 minutes, battling his way on to an Innes pass and angling the finish
well from 12 yards. Tipton’s flashing
drive kept the pressure on United, who nearly hit back when Paul Tierney
brought another stop from Miskelly. Athletic’s
Phil Salt hit the bar near the end with the kind of free-kick David Beckham
perfected on the very same pitch.
Athletic:
Miskelly, Futcher, Thom (Roberts 21), Haining, Smith, Wharton (Gardiner
65), Innes, Salt, Walker, Crawford (Froggatt 53), Tipton. Subs (not used):
Robertson, Oliver.
Athletic's
fans are champions in style stakes
OLDHAM
ATHLETIC fans are top of the league when it comes to fashion. The
local club has outstripped its North-West rivals in the style stakes —
finishing top in the region for having the smartest fans. Latics
fans came 17th in the Burton Menswear League of Football Style, out of
102 clubs in the Premiership, Nationwide League and Scottish Premier League. Their
nearest local rivals were Manchester United, who may be top of a different
league, but could only finish 31st in this one, followed by Manchester
City immediately below them. Latics fanatic
Lee Hindle said style off the pitch can only help with style on it. He
added: "You never know who you might meet at a game, so it pays to be on
the ball." But Kathryn Stead, another
Athletic supporter, also showed the women should not be forgotten in the
style survey, modelling the range of smart Oldham Athletic club gear. She
added she was only too happy to help Oldham to stay at the top of the league.
Athletic's commercial manager Mr Bob
Gorrill said: "It's great news really, and something we can use at the
club." The nation's smartest fans belong
to West Ham, epitomised by smooth former Hammer Trevor Brooking, but the
Baggies of West Brom will be as sick as parrots —finishing in 102nd position.
Real
Audio commentary of the Bournemouth game is available at http://www.afcb.co.uk/If
anyone listens in please let me know how good it is. Just
a reminder I am going to Bournemouth for the game so there will be no BBZ
tonight. Gary
Teamtalk
Oldham
Bournemouth
squad
John Sheridan
and Mark Allott have been recalled to the squad for the trip to take on
Bournemouth. The pair sat out Tuesday's 1-0 defeat at home to Stoke but
Sheridan is likely to reclaim his place in midfield whilst Allott is likely
to partner young Ryan Sugden in attack. Paul Rickers, Steve Whitehall and
Danny Boshell will gain bench starts with Mark Innes coming into midfield.
Reserves
do United
The Latics
second string completed the matches in the League section of the Manchester
Senior cup with a 2-0 win over Man United at The Cliff. The goals came
from first year scholar Will Haining and Matthew Tipton. They will now
face United again in the final of the competition which will take place
at Boundary Park on a date yet to be arranged.
Trialist
duo arrive
Both Leeds
striker, Dale Crawford and Newcastle midfielder Andy Walker have arrived
at Boundary Park on trial. Dale Crawford telephoned the Latics himself
asking if the club would take a look at him and the Latics will have no
problem signing him if he were to impress as the 18 year old is set to
be released at the end of the season. Andy Walker meanwhile is 19 years
old and plays in midfield, he is also being released by his club at the
end of the season. Teamtalk
Bournemouth
Stock
expected to get the nod
Mel Machin
is expected to do what every fan has been urging him to do and play Brian
Stock against Oldham on Saturday. It is the perfect opportunity to give
youth its chance and if Machin does not take it, Cherries' fans would be
forgiven for asking what Machin is up to. With both sides nestled in the
middle of the table there is absolutely nothing to play for except contracts
for those players whose deals run out in the summer. That is why Machin,
who is likely to have already made up his mind on who he wants to keep
at Dean Court next season, will put out a younger side against the Latics.
Stock has yet to start a game for the Cherries. He has made a handful of
appearances as a substitute this season but if he does make the starting
line up on Saturday, it will be his full league debut.
The 17-year-old
has played well for the reserves this season and was rewarded with a two
and a half year contract in January a week before making his debut, coming
on as a substitute for Scott Mean at Colchester. "There is no doubt that
Brian has got the basics to become a very good player, but playing in the
first team is a big step up from playing in the reserves and the youth
team," said Machin. "Brian knows that he has still got a long way to go,
although from what I have seen already, he certainly has the ability to
make progress. "He uses the ball well and sometimes sees the passes that
other players don't. He already has a bit of quality about him and now
he just needs some experience. "Our remaining games will give me the ideal
opportunity to give him a chance and I always prefer to see young players
given their debuts at home if possible. "I think it's important to have
the home crowd behind them, and, from the players' point of view, they
will want to do well in front of their own fans."
ESPN
Soccernet Bournemouth's
young striker Joe Sheerin keeps his places in the Cherries squad to tackle
Oldham Athletic. The forward came on as a substitute in last Saturday's
disappointing 1-0 reverse at struggling Oxford United. And he will be trying
to persuade manager Mel Machin he is worth a place in the starting 11 at
Dean Court this weekend. Bournemouth are stranded in mid-table, 17 points
from the play-offs and 11 points from the drop-zone to Division Three.
Oldham are also stuck in the middle, with just one point more than Bournemouth.
John Sheridan and Mark Allott are expected to be added to Oldham boss Andy
Ritchie's unchanged squad for the long trip south. Richard Graham and Craig
Dudley are still sidelined but Ritchie is happy with the Athletic's current
level of performance. After suffering the 1-0 defeat against Stoke in midweek,
He said: "We deserved something from the game. We dominated it after the
first quarter. "I can't fault the lads for effort - they've worked so hard."
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