12th October 1999 

News from around BP

ATHLETIC suffered a crushing blow today when Shaun Garnett went into hospital for a hernia operation. The bombshell — coming only three days after Stuart Thom broke his collarbone —provides Athletic with a major defensive headache. While Thom is expected to spend two months on the sidelines, Garnett could now join him for six weeks. 

Manager Andy Ritchie admitted: "Losing Shaun has come at a bad time. It's the news we didn't want to hear." Having already missed four games with an abdominal strain, Garnett went to see a specialist last night in the hope that an injection would do the trick. But the hernia operation he had at Tranmere eight years ago had led to complications and his stomach wall has again come loose. The double setback means Athletic, who are unlikely to make a loan signing as cover, will be forced to turn to their rookies. 

Mark Hotte is favourite to play at Cardiff on Saturday, but Jordan Tait could also make his full debut if Andrew Holt switches from wing-back to centre-half. Tait, who has been out for three weeks with a groin strain, plays for the reserves against Bury tonight. "We do have a few permutations to think about," Ritchie added. "Iain Swan has played in the first team and there is also Ben Futcher, but he's probably a bit too young at the moment." 

All the candidates for senior action are in the squad for tonight's Manchester Senior Cup tie at Boundary Park (7 pm). Athletic may have to leave one of them on the bench, however, as they usually operate a rotation system at second-team level. Craig Dudley plays after recovering from a virus, while Athletic are also hoping to field trialist Ossur Hansen — a Faroe Islands international.

RESERVES (from): Miskelly, Tait, McLean, Swan, Hotte, Walsh, Innes, Hansen, Tipton, Wardle, Dudley, Futcher, Campbell, Clitheroe, Wharton, Boshell. 

Yesterday’s heroes are reunited

THERE were moist eyes around Boundary Park when members of the third division championship-winning team paraded on the pitch before Saturday’s game. The former players had gathered to mark the 25th anniversary of their achievement and attended a dinner in their honour on Friday night. Fondly-remembered names such as Andy Lochhead, Harry Dowd, Keith Hicks and Ronnie Blair were among the men who reunited. But the warmest applause was saved for Athletic legend Jimmy Frizzell, the manager who helped to make it possible during his 22-year spell at the club. 

THE victory over Luton on Saturday confirmed Boundary Park as one of The Hatters’ unluckiest grounds. They have now failed to win on their last 11 visits, a record stretching back more than 20 years. Athletic have won seven and drawn four of those games and have not lost since Vic Halom bagged their consolation against his old club in a 2-1 defeat in 1976/77. Halom made a habit of scoring against Luton in the late seventies, while Graeme Sharp managed four in one match in 1992. Athletic also have a good record against their next opponents, Cardiff City. They have had the edge in the most recent league games at Ninian Park, winning three and drawing one of the last six meetings. Saturday will see the first league fixture between the sides since 1984/85. Derrick Parker and Roger Palmer scored for Athletic in a 2-2 draw, with Palmer also on target in both the 1-0 win in 1981/82 and the 2-0 success a year earlier.

A FAMILIAR face at Saturday’s game was David Fairclough, who is best known for being Liverpool’s `Supersub’ but who also had a season with Athletic. Rather appropriately, Fairclough spent most of 1985/86 either warming the bench or playing for the reserves as they topped the Central League second division. His finest moment in Athletic colours was undoubtedly a two-goal blast in the League Cup against the club which made him famous. Fairclough is now working for Meridian TV and was covering the game on ITV2.

ATHLETIC go into the hat for the FA Cup first round on Saturday. The draw will be made at around 5.30pm and will be televised live by Sky Sports. 

THE newly-published “Guide To Football Grounds” gives Athletic an honourable mention for their treatment of visiting supporters. Author Jon Ladd says: “The way the club deals with queries from away fans is probably one of — if not the — best I came across in my research.” Another of Ladd’s comments might have something of a familiar ring. He adds: “If you have never been to Boundary Park before, dress not to impress but for arctic survival.”

Ritchie magic rubs off on Latics’ last-gasp hero

IT is an abiding dream of football fans everywhere to score the winning goal for the team they watched as a youngster. And Mark Allott — Athletic’s player of the moment — has made that transition from terrace teenager to last-minute hero. Allott’s brave header against Luton on Saturday made it four goals in a month and five for the campaign so far. He is on course to smash last season’s record of eight — a total which made him top scorer — and is quickly becoming a fixture in the Athletic front line. Although Manchester City were the first love for the Middleton-born 21-year-old, he spent part of his teens admiring the Boundary Park striker who would later become his manager. Allott said: “I used to get tickets here as a schoolboy and I always enjoyed watching players like Andy Ritchie, Frank Bunn and Roger Palmer. “There were so many goals it always seemed to finish 5-3, so it was really entertaining stuff. “The gaffer was brilliant. In fact, in training he still has the same touches and ability to hold the ball which made him such a good player. “I played with him in the reserves a couple of years ago and it was a good experience to learn from someone I used to watch as a kid. “You try to pick up things from whoever you see and just do your best to copy all the best players. “And it’s useful to have a striker as the manager. He can see things from my point of view and show me where I’m going wrong.”

Just recently, that list of failings has looked briefer than at any time in Allott’s career. It is only now — three years to the day since he made his league bow — that he looks totally at home in the first-team environment. Allott made a flying start in the first team when he scored eight minutes into his debut at Bolton. But things went quiet for a few months while he continued his development in the reserves. He finally tied down a regular spot at the start of last season and seemed to cement his place by hitting those eight goals by mid-January. That, however, was that. Athletic struggled, Allott stopped scoring and the belief of a player who needs self-assurance like a fish needs water could clearly be heard gurgling down the plughole. His turnaround began with a couple of goals in pre-season before he provided the relief of Athletic’s drought-ending strike in the Worthington Cup tie against Stockport. Allott has since scored four very different goals to show that his all-round game is improving. He said: “This is only my second full season and I do feel like I’m getting better with each game. “It’s frustrating when you aren’t scoring — you have to hope someone else will do it instead — but it sometimes means you just need to work even harder. “Because I’m really enjoying it at the moment, it’s probably showing on the pitch. “My confidence is high and I’m just hoping we can start playing well for 90 minutes, rather than the 45 we are managing at the moment.” Allott is hardly the most robust of players, so his strength is used to inconvenience rather than terrorise. But he is showing more willingness to go in where it hurts and, at 5ft 11ins, has enough height to win his share of headers. That new assertiveness has been a welcome bonus for Ritchie, whose side need every positive pointer they can get. The manager said: “Mark has done very well and feels he will score every time he plays. “On Saturday, he and David McNiven were both winning things for us, as well as making sure the defenders never had time to settle. “That was the difference, really. And scoring a few goals has helped him no end. “He has always had the ability — now he has to make sure he stays on top and carries on showing us what he can do

Trialist Hansen aims to make history

ATHLETIC have cast their net far and wide in the search for new players — but never quite to an outpost like the Faroe Islands. Yet that is the hunting ground from where trialist Ossur Hansen arrived this week. Hansen, an international midfielder with 38 caps, is aiming to make history as the first player from his homeland to play in English league football. While Faroe may not be a hotbed of the game — amazingly it has only two grass pitches — the 28-year-old is one of its leading players. Hansen, a full-time electrician, is hoping to light up Boundary Park during a two-week spell which began yesterday when he joined training. He has spent two years in Danish football, but is currently playing in his own domestic league and doing his best to help Faroe improve as an international force. Although they used to be one of the whipping boys, results in the Euro 2000 qualifiers have included draws against Lithuania, Bosnia and Scotland. Hansen played his part in all of those games and said that, with former Charlton and Denmark player Alan Simonsen as coach, they can continue to beat the odds. He went on: “We only have a population of 45,000 people, who are spread over 18 islands. “Also, there are only 10 clubs in the first division and most league matches are played on pitches which are artificial. “I am paid to play for my club, B36, but not very much. I have to work eight hours a day as an electrician and practice my football afterwards. “It’s very exciting to be at Oldham. People from Faroe are playing in the Norway, Denmark and Iceland leagues, but I’m hoping I will do well here and become the first in England. “I know Oldham from watching on television and I remember them when Graeme Sharp played.” Asked what his strengths were, Hansen added: “I am left-footed, I have good technique and I think I have a good shot.” Faroe, which is probably most famous for its booming sheep population, is roughly halfway between Iceland and the northern tip of Scotland. As it is officially part of Denmark, Athletic — who have been tangled up in red tape over Caribbean striker Keith Gumbs — would not have to apply for a work permit.