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| Ready for the off... |
| The
day Burton Albion Football Club has been waiting 52 years for finally arrives
tomorrow (Saturday) when the Brewers make their Nationwide Conference debut
against Scarborough at Eton Park (3pm). A 2,000-plus crowd is expected to see the UniBond League champions take their first faltering steps amongst the elite of non-league football, but it hasn't been an entirely hassle-free build-up to the 2002-2003 season, with the Brewers having significant injury worries ahead of tomorrow's game. Defender Daren Wassall is a definite absentee - he's set to have a scan on the knee injury he sustained in the friendly at Alfreton a month ago, and which kept him out of the remainder of the pre-season programme which culminated in Monday's 5-3 win at Northern Counties East League side Sheffield FC. |
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| Skipper
Darren Stride (pictured) is rated as 'very doubtful' to play in Saturday's
game, still suffering the effects of the dislocated shoulder he suffered
against Wolverhampton Wanderers, while defender Colin Hoyle was also rated
as 'doubtful' ahead of last night's final training session - he's carrying
a groin strain. Striker Craig Dudley has not played any part in the pre-season games and his signing from Division Two Oldham Athletic will only be completed if the 22-year old recovers sufficiently from the achilles tendon operation he underwent at the end of last season. |
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this in mind, Nigel Clough has not ruled out the possibility of bringing
in loan cover, while a more major capture could be on the cards. One possible
potential new signing was spotted at Eton Park last night - a veteran left-sided
midfielder with Premiership experience, currently out of contract with a
Midlands-based Nationwide Division One side. Meanwhile the bookies are tipping Albion for a mid-table finish in their first ever Conference campaign. Ladbrokes have installed the Brewers as joint tenth favourites for the Conference title at odds of 20/1. Yeovil Town, conquerors of Albion and eventual winners of the FA Trophy last season are favourites at 7/2, followed by last season's Conference runners up Dagenham & Redbridge (6/1). |
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| Chester
City and Doncaster Rovers come in at 7/1, with Albion's Bank Holiday Monday
opponents Barnet at 10/1. Farnborough Town, Morecambe, Scarborough and Stevenage
are all on 16/1. While Nigel Clough would settle for 10th place - he told brewersnet in an exclusive interview aired on the site today his target this season was to finish "top of the part timers", the introduction of play-offs in the Conference for the first time could extend interest in the season for many clubs. |
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Details
of the play-offs have now been announced, with the matches beginning just
three days after the end of the season proper. The fifth placed club will take on the second placed club, while third takes on fourth, in a two-legged semi-final on Tuesday 29th April and Monday 5th May, with the final at a venue to be decided on Saturday 10th May. The prize for the winner is of course, a place in the Football League. Such matters are a long way off for the Brewers, who for the first time in many years will begin a season without the expectation and pressure of being expected to challenge for the title. |
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| The
Brewers beat tomorrow's opponents Scarborough at the McCain Stadium in an
FA Trophy Fourth Round match two seasons ago, and will be keen to repeat
that result to give themselves a winning start to life in the Conference. Scarborough meanwhile will be looking to improve on last season's 12th placed finish having seen out the worst of their recent financial troubles, and with plans for a new stadium announced this week. The Seadogs will be without midfielder Jason Blunt who's out with a thigh strain, while striker Karl Rose (groin strain) was another injury doubt for Saturday's Eton Park clash. Click here to read our exclusive interview with Albion boss Nigel Clough... |
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| Walters 'unlikely' to stay a Brewer |
| Former
Liverpool, Rangers and England star Mark Walters lined up for the Brewers
in Tuesday night's friendly against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but it could
be his first and last appearance in an Albion shirt. Walters, currently employed as an academy coach by another of his former clubs, Aston Villa, has been training with the Brewers and looked impressive in the Eton Park goalless draw, but Albion boss Nigel Clough says it's unlikely the 38-year old will become a permanent addition to the squad. "Mark did quite well and he genuinely enjoyed having a game with us but I think that's as far as it will go," Clough told the Burton Mail, "We already have a squad of 18 very good players and I think it will take someone or something exceptional to break into it." |
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The
other main talking point of the night was the injury to Darren Stride which
saw the Brewers' skipper exit the field 24 minutes into Tuesday night's game,
which saw Wolves boss Dave Jones choosing not to play his first team ahead
of Saturday's Nationwide League kick-off. Stride dislocated his shoulder after a collision with team-mate Glen Kirkwood, but is confident he'll be fit in time for the start of the new Conference season - now just nine days away. "I felt the shoulder pop out as soon as I banged into Glenn, but luckily it went straight back in when I hit the ground," Stride told the Burton Mail. |
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| "It
was very painful at the time but it's already starting to feel better and
I think I've got enough time on my side to be fit for the first league
game." The Brewers continued their build-up to the 2002-2003 season with a 4-2 victory at Stratford Town last night (Wednesday) in their penultimate pre-season fixture. Steve Evans and Sean Gummer shared the goals between them, with Terry Henshaw, Neil Glasser and manager Nigel Clough lining up in what was otherwise a mix of fringe players, trialists and Andy Garner. Rounding up the rest of the pre-season action, the Brewers beat Thame United 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in Oxfordshire on Saturday, to lift the Coors Cup, sponsored by the new owners of Bass Brewers, Christian Moore getting both Brewers goals in normal time, and Steve Evans despatching the decisive penalty. Last week, Albion missed out on the chance to lift the Bass Charity Vase for the first time since Nigel Clough's arrival at the club, going down 3-2 to a Nottingham Forest XI in the final at Eton Park - Sean Farrell and Darren Stride getting the Brewers' goals. Albion had sealed their place in the final with a 2-1 victory over Notts County courtesy of goals from Farrell and new signing from Ilkeston Town Glen Kirkwood, while Andy Garner was on the mark from a free-kick to earn a draw against Redditch United in the other match to have taken place since the last exciting update. The Brewers complete their pre-season campaign with a trip to Sheffield FC next Monday. Click here to read our exclusive interview with Albion chairman Ben Robinson... |
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| Vase victory |
| Albion
rounded off the first week of their pre-season build-up with a 1-0 victory
over Nationwide League neighbours Derby County, in the first match of their
Bass Charity Vase campaign. The Rams included a sprinkling of players with first team experience in their line-up, notably Georgian International Georgi Kinkladze, but Nigel Clough's close range conversion from Dale Anderson's cross, 25 minutes from the end, proved to be the only goal of the game. The Brewers kicked off their pre-season programme with a 3-0 win over Rocester at Hillsfield last Friday, Aaron Webster (2) and Darren Stride the goalscorers. A sub-strength Brewers line-up went down 2-1 at Alfreton Town on Saturday, Webster again the Brewers scorer, while a mostly reserve side played out a goalless draw at Hyde United on Wednesday night. |
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| Albion
continue their bid to reach the final of the Bass Vase when they entertain
Notts County on Monday evening, before travelling to Redditch
United the following night, with a possible Vase Final appearance pencilled
in for Wednesday night. Meanwhile don't forget that the Brewers will be feted with an open-top bus tour of the town tomorrow (Saturday 27th July), to mark their UniBond title winning triumph. The bus leaves Eton Park at 11am, making it's way along Hawkins Lane, High Street, Market Place, New Street, Union Street, Station Street and Borough Road, before arriving at the Town Hall for a civic reception at 12 noon. |
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| The numbers game |
| Player
Manager Nigel Clough has given up his trademark number 10 shirt in the new
squad numbers system announced this week. Clough will sport number 20 when the new season kicks off on August 17th, with Christian Moore taking his number 10 shirt. Squad numbers, long established in the Premiership and Football League, are being introduced for the first time in the Conference this season. So does this mean we should expect to see Cloughie, 36, taking a less active playing role in the faster, harder climate of the Conference? The Brewers boss says that fans shouldn't read too much into the allocation of squad numbers: "The numbers the players have on their back won't necessarily bear any correlation to how we pick the team," Clough told the Burton Mail. |
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| "In some
cases, it was simply a case of asking the lads to tell us their preferences
or superstitions." Superstition doesn't however appear to have affected
reserve 'keeper Dan Robinson, who's been lumbered with the number 13 shirt! The Brewers' pre-season programme got underway this weekend with visits to Albion's Dr. Martens Western Division neighbours Rocester (Friday) and Northern Counties East League Alfreton Town (Saturday 3pm). Other games coming up this week are the trip to Hyde United on Wednesday (7.45pm), and the visit to Eton Park of Derby County in the first Bass Charity Vase fixture on Thursday night (7.30pm). Meanwhile Derby reserves will, as expected, be playing the majority of their matches at Eton Park next season, and fixture details have been confirmed. Leicester City are the first opponents in the Premier Reserve League South on 28th August, while Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Chelsea are amongst the other sides who's reserves will be appearing at Eton Park. |
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| New sponsors announced |
| The Brewers'
new sponsors for the coming season have been announced, with the club having
two main shirt sponsors for the first time. Wetmore-based brake manufacturers Knott will become the main sponsor of the new home shirt, while the name of Bison Concrete, a national construction company who have offices on the Centrum 100 development in Branston, will adorn the blue away shirt. Knott already have close ties with the Brewers, having sponsored the reserves last season, and with Managing Director Phil Brown a member of the Albion board. The tie-up with Bison meanwhile could be significant, as the Brewers plan the next phase of ground redevelopment. Albion need to increase the ground capacity of Eton Park, and the number of seats, in order to meet new Conference ground criteria coming into force at the end of the coming season, and Bison have strong links with the construction of football stadia, having been involved with prestigious developments at Pride Park, Derby, the Millenium Stadium, Cardiff, and Old Trafford, Manchester. The new home shirt is a slightly modified version of the bright yellow number which the Brewers have been wearing for the past four years, which may disappoint traditionalists hankering for a return to the amber and black stripes. The away shirt meanwhile is identical to that worn last season, save for the replacement of the BI Industries logo with the charging Bison logo of their new sponsors. In other news, it's been confirmed that the Brewers will embark upon an open-top bus tour of the town, followed by a civic reception at Burton Town Hall, on Saturday 27th July, to mark their UniBond League championship success. The bus will leave Eton Park at 11am, travelling along Hawkins Lane, Horninglow Street and High Street, before reaching the Market Place, from where it will head off down New Street, Union Street, Station Street and Borough Road before arriving at the Town Hall. It will be the first time the Brewers have ben feted this way since their FA Trophy Final appearance of 1987, when thousands turned out to greet them following their goalless draw with Kidderminster Harriers at Wembley. |
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| A home start! |
| The
Brewers will begin the season with a home tie for the first time since 1996,
as they begin life in the Nationwide Conference with the visit of Scarborough
to Eton Park. The East Yorkshire side, who Albion knocked out of the FA Trophy two seasons ago, will be the Brewers' first ever Conference opponents when the 2002-2003 campaign kicks off on Saturday 17th August. That's followed by a trip to the bizarrely-named Bargain Booze Stadium, formerly known as Wincham Park, Witton, and temporary home to Northwich Victoria, on Tuesday 20th. |
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| Albion
make a quick return to Cheshire on Saturday 24th August when they travel
to Hilton Park to take on Leigh RMI, and the month is rounded off
by the visit of Barnet on Bank Holiday Monday - the first time Albion
will have taken on the North London side - then on course to the Football
League - since they met in the FA Cup in 1989, and a trip to Telford
United on the last day of the month. Other early season highlights include the visit of newly-relegated Halifax Town on Saturday 7th September, a trip to last season's Conference runners-up Dagenham & Redbridge a week later, and a reunion with erstwhile Dr. Martens League title foes Margate at Eton Park on Saturday 28th September. Perhaps the most eagerly-awaited matches of all however will be two titanic festive derby games against old rivals Nuneaton Borough over the Christmas period. Albion visit Manor Park on Boxing Day, with the return at Eton Park on New Year's Day. The season concludes on Saturday April 26th with a trip to the seaside - to Christie Park, Morecambe. Click here for the full 2002-2003 fixture list... |
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| Only three months to go... |
| The
Brewers have unveiled the programme of friendlies with which Nigel Clough's
men will warm-up for their first season as a Nationwide Conference
club. The pre-season campaign kicks off at the Brewers' Dr. Martens Western Division neighbours Rocester on Friday 19th July, and ends on Monday 12th August with a trip to the self-proclaimed 'oldest football club in the World' - Sheffield FC. Inbetween those games is the usual collection of Bass Charity Vase fixtures - Derby County and Notts County providing the Brewers' opposition - and games against non-league sides, with UniBond League colleagues of last season Hyde United, and Ryman League outfit Thame United joining a list of more local sides. |
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| Apart
from the Bass Vase game at home to Derby, the visit of Wolverhampton Wanderers
on Tuesday August 6th is the only Eton Park friendly on the schedule at present,
although another more prestigious home fixture could be pencilled in at a
later date, we understand. Meanwhile Albion boss Nigel Clough has moved quickly to add new faces to his squad in preparation for next season, with strikers Craig Dudley and Glen Kirkwood both signing for the Brewers in the space of a week. Dudley, 22 joins Albion from Oldham Athletic - subject to his overcoming an ankle ligament injury. A former Notts County player, Dudley has been at Boundary Park for three years, during which time he's also enjoyed loan spells at Shrewsbury, Chesterfield and Hull, and was also a member of the England U20 squad which travelled to the 1999 World Championships in Nigeria. |
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"Craig's
main asset is his pace, but we also like the fact that he can play up front
or wide on the right," manager Nigel Clough told the Burton Mail, "He's
also the right age from our point of view and we're hopeful he'll fit into
our squad perfectly." Kirkwood meanwhile will be a more familiar name to Albion fans. He joins the club from the Brewers' Dr. Martens League neighbours Ilkeston Town, where he's just picked up the Supporters Player of the Season award (see picture) at the end of the season which saw him net 20 goals for the Robins. |
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| Kirkwood
has Football League experience, having played for Doncaster Rovers either
side of their relegation into the Conference in 1998. The Brewers initially
tried to sign him a year ago but Kirkwood still had a year to run on his
contract at the New Manor Ground. "They made him a good offer to stay but he wanted to join us for all the right reasons and to get him on a free transfer is a bonus," said Clough of his second capture in a week, "Glen usually plays up front but we think he's also capable of doing a job for us in midfield because his work rate fits in with the ethics which got us into the Conference." In other news, Aaron Webster has picked up two more England caps after playing in John Owens' National Game XI in the inauguaral UniBond Four Nations tournament last week. Webster played 77 minutes of England's 1-1 draw against Wales at York Street on Tuesday night, and made a half hour substitute appearance in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Scotland at Rockingham Road, Kettering. Brewers skipper Darren Stride was initially a part of the England squad for the tournament but had to pull out because of a knee injury sustained in the UniBond Shield match against Accrington Stanley on Bank Holiday Monday. |
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| Clough signs new deal |
| Just
days after completing the most successful campaign in their history, the
Brewers have been handed a massive boost for next season with the news that
manager Nigel Clough has signed a new three-year contract with the club. It's the second time in his Albion career that Clough has agreed a new deal with a year still remaining on his existing contract, and just as when he last put pen to paper two years ago this week - see archive news story here - the Brewers boss hopes the move will silence speculation linking him with other managerial vacancies. |
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| "Hopefully
by signing this contract it will show how happy I and Gary (Crosby) are at
the club and keep the rumours about me leaving at bay a bit longer," Clough
told the Burton Mail, "As far as we are concerned getting into the Conference
is on the first step, and that's taken us three and a half years." Words that will come as music to the ears of Brewers fans who are looking forward to seeing Nationwide Conference football at Eton Park for the first time. Clough also cited the example of Cheltenham Town, former Brewer Steve Cotterill at the helm and league rivals of the Brewers only five years ago, who this week clinched promotion to Nationwide Division Two, as a model for the club's future progress: "We're heartened by the fact that two former Dr. Martens League clubs, Cheltenham and Rushden, were in the play-offs yesterday for promotion to Division Two," said Clough, "Cheltenham were the winners and still have players at the club who were with them in their non-league days. We think we have the potential at Burton to emulate their achievements." |
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Meanwhile
Clough has already started planning for next season, and all but two of this
season's squad will be staying at Eton Park. Pat Lyons and Alan Bailey are the two departees, the latter suffering a disappointing end to his one season at the club after missing the spot-kick which saw Accrington Stanley win the UniBond League Shield on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Eton Park on Monday. Bailey has scored some crucial goals this season, but has never quite found the consistency to justify a regular place, while his form has been hampered by the after-effects of a car accident he was involved in in March. For Lyons meanwhile it marks the end of a five-year spell at the club. A regular in midfield during John Barton era and in Nigel Clough's first season at Eton Park, Lyons' appearances have been limited in recent years. Of the players who's contracts expire this Summer, skipper Darren Stride and England semi-pro colleagues Aaron Webster and Dale Anderson have all signed new three-year deals, Mark Blount, Neil Glasser, Terry Henshaw and Darren Wassall have signed for two years, with Colin Hoyle and Sean Farrell penning one-year contracts. |
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