11th August 2000   

Port Vale previews

ATHLETIC were given a massive eve-of-season boost today when striker Mark Allott signed a new three-year contract. The 22-year-old agreed a compromise with the club over personal terms, ending months of uncertainty about his future. Allott was transfer-listed six months ago after refusing a two-year deal and reaching stalemate in negotiations. He had been playing on a week-by-week basis since the end of last season but suggested re-opening talks with manager Andy Ritchie — who was resigned to losing him — after training on Wednesday. Allott has been top scorer for the last two years and, as he is too young to move under the Bosman ruling, Athletic could have demanded a sizeable fee.

But Ritchie is delighted that the Middleton-based player has pledged his future to the club. "He knows how highly I rate him," Ritchie said. "I believe he has a great deal to offer and the potential to really build on last season's achievements. "He will form a great partnership with our new striker, Carlo Corazzin. Both are sharp in front of goal and excellent at keeping possession. "The fans have a lot to look forward to in the next few months." Chief executive Alan Hardy added: "The approach from Mark came out of the blue. We are pleased we have been able to reach a compromise." There is still no progress with defender Scott McNiven, who was transfer-listed at the same time as Allott and has the same agent, Mel Stein. But the timing of Allott's capture is ideal for Athletic, who open their league season at home to Port Vale tomorrow. There is a mood of optimism around Boundary Park, with many players, staff and supporters believing a promotion bid is about to unfold. Ritchie is poised to name the side which beat Leeds in a friendly last week, recalling skipper Lee Duxbury and handing a league debut to Corazzin.

ATHLETIC (probable): Kelly, Jones, Garnett, Hotte, Adams, Holt, Sheridan, Duxbury, Rickers, Corazzin, Allott. Subs (from): Miskelly, Dudley, Innes, Boshell, Whitehall, Tipton, Futcher.

Port Vale were relegated from division one last season and their plans have been hit by a move for number-one striker Tony Rougier. The Trinidad and Tobago international was today having talks with Reading over a £350,000 transfer.

PORT VALE (from): Goodlad, Carragher, Twiss, Brammer, Tankard, Burton, Cammins, Widdrington, Viljanen, Naylor, Minton, Smith, Bridge-Wilkinson, Walsh, Eyre, O'Callaghan, Burns, Delaney. 

Andy Ritchie is set to hand a debut to new signing Carlo Corizzan in tomorrow's league opener against Port Vale at Boundary Park. The Canadian international, a free transfer signing from Northampton, is the man boss Andy Ritchie hopes will shoot them to the play-off places. He said: "Carlo has always been a regular goalscorer, the kind of player we have been lacking, and he is a seasoned international. "I am hoping he is the piece of jigsaw we have been searching for in order to complete the puzzle." Corizzan said: "I know I have been brought in to score goals and I will be going all out to do just that." He will be partnered up front by Mark Allott, last season's joint top-scorer with 11 goals. The Latics also welcome back hard-grafting midfielder Paul Rickers who has fully recovered from a hernia operation. Ritchie, who won't reveal his line-up until just before kick-off, said: "Vale were in the first division last season and we are in for a tough start." He added: "It will be a gritty and hard-fought game. You can bet any side managed by Brian Horton will get stuck in." The squad is: Kelly, Jones, Garnett, Hotte, Adams, Duxbury, Sheridan, Rickers, Holt, Corizzan, Allott, Innes, Tipton, Whitehall, Dudley and Miskelly. 

Stoke Sentinel

Cash-strapped Port Vale were today on the verge of selling leading-scorer Tony Rougier to Second Division rivals Reading. The clubs have agreed a fee of £340,000 and Rougier was at the Madejski Stadium this morning expecting to complete the formalities of a medical. Vale manager Brian Horton said: "It has all happened very quickly this week and I am not prepared to comment until Monday, neither is the chairman. The game tomorrow at Oldham has to take precedence." Nevertheless, the departure of Rougier on the eve of the new season will come as a shock to supporters as the club continues to wrestle with its financial problems.  Rougier's availability due to his international commitments with Trinidad and Tobago caused Vale problems, but he would still have been expected to figure prominently in their Second Division campaign. Now the winger-cum-striker, who was signed by former manager John Rudge in January 1999 for £175,000 from Hibernian, is set to link up with ambitious Reading, who visit Vale Park on September 2. Vale are sweating on the fitness of one player for the trip to Boundary Park, which may prevent Horton from fielding the side that beat Nottingham Forest last Saturday. But he has winger Alex Smith available, despite his sending off in the recent game at Macclesfield. Smith's suspension does not take effect for another week. The Forest victory has lifted confidence in the camp and Horton expects a good game of football against Andy Ritchie's side. Horton said: "I watched them in midweek and saw one or two things that might enable us to get a result, but Oldham try to play and the pitch looks magnificent." Oldham, whose pre-season includes winning the Isle of Man tournament, will be without defender David McNiven, who is recovering from a fractured cheekbone. 

Oldham Athletic are leaning heavily on a striker who might have worn the colours of Stoke City. Canadian Carlo Corazzin was spotted by the former Arsenal defender Bob McNab, who tipped off Lou Macari during his halcyon days at the Victoria Ground. But Lou quit the Potters for Celtic and instead of being given the chance to impress Stoke, Corazzin kicked off his career at Cambridge. Since then he has plied his trade with Plymouth Argyle and Northampton Town as well as scoring 10 goals in nearly 50 outings for Canada, who he helped win this year's Concacaf Gold Cup. Corazzin's 15 goals for Northampton last season helped the Cobblers to promotion from Division Three, but his international commitments interfered too much and he was released. Oldham boss Andy Ritchie, anxious to sign a goal-scorer, snapped up Corazzin on a free transfer amid interest from Gillingham, among other clubs, and he is looking to the Canadian to forge an effective partnership with local boy Mark Allott, who has worked his way through the ranks. Corazzin is Oldham's only newcomer and Ritchie, without a bean to spend, will rely on the squad that recovered from an appalling start last term to finish in mid-table.
The Latics produced play-off form in the second half of the season and Ritchie hopes they can carry on from where they left off, even if the bookies see them with a struggle on their hands. Defender David McNiven misses the big kick-off while he continues to recover from a fractured cheekbone. McNiven was advised to keep fit throughout the summer only to be involved in a clash of heads while training with an amateur team in Blackpool. Oldham have a mixture of youth and experience. John Sheridan, now aged 36, pulls the strings in midfield and Burslem-born Neil Adams, once of Stoke, Everton and Norwich, operates in a wing-back role. Other wise old heads include ex-Tranmere man Shaun Garnett and skipper Lee Duxbury, formerly of Bradford City and Huddersfield. Youth is provided by the likes of centre-back Paul Jones, who made the transition from UniBond League football with Leigh RMI to the Second Division in a couple of months. Oldham have enjoyed encouraging pre-season preparations that include winning the Isle of Man tournament and victory against a youthful Leeds United side. However, they came down to earth in midweek with a 4-0 thumping by Manchester City, which Ritchie feels will serve the purpose of ridding the ranks of any complacency. Last year Oldham were unbeaten in pre-season only to lose their opening five games when the serious business started. Vale last visited Boundary Park in the 1996-97 season when they lost 3-0. In fact, their record at Oldham is none too inspiring - last winning there in the pre-Horton playing days of the 1969-70 season, nine visits ago. One to watch: Carlo Corazzin, a reputable striker in the lower divisions and one eager to shine on his Oldham debut.

CHAMPIANS MAN UTD ( Oh, how I hate to say it!)

RUNNERS UP ARSENAL

RELEGATED BRADFORD, CHARLTON & SOUTHAMPTON

DIVISION 1

CHAMPIONS BLACKBURN ROVERS

PROMOTED FULHAM & HUDDERSFIELD TOWN

RELEGATED GILLINGHAM, TRANMERE & NORWICH CITY

DIVISION 2

CHAMPIONS BRISTOL ROVERS

PROMOTED STOKE CITY & MILLWALL

PLAY OFFS WIGAN ATHLETIC, OLDHAM ATHLETIC

RELEGATED COLCHESTER UNITED, READING, ROTHERHAM UNITED & CAMBRIDGE UNITED

DIVISION 3

CHAMPIONS BRIGHTON & H.A.

RELEGATED CARLISE UNITED

CONFERENCE

CHAMPIONS DONCASTER ROVERS

SCOTTISH PREMIER

CHAMPIONS RANGERS

F.A. CUP WINNERS

LIVERPOOL

LEAGUE CUP WINNERS

CHELSEA