Sports Editor Tony Bugby brings us the latest from Oldham Athletic FC.
AFTER WHAT can only be described as a baptism of fire following the controversy which surrounded his appointment, new Oldham Athletic manager Darren Kelly has steadily begun to make his mark at the SportsDirect.com Park.
The vastly-experienced Lee Croft has become Kelly’s first signing while Jim Harvey has been added to his backroom staff.
Winger Croft, who had been playing at Scottish Premier League side St Johnstone, could be likened to a boomerang as he keeps returning – incredibly this will be his third spell at the club.
And Croft won’t be the only arrival as Kelly has also been linked with Anthony Gerrard who was on loan with Latics towards the end of the season from Huddersfield Town, Brighton winger Paddy McCourt and Walsall defender Ben Purkiss.
Reinforcements are needed as George Elokobi and Adam Lockwood have left the club after rejecting the terms for new contracts.
They join Amari Morgan-Smith and David Mellor, both released, while loan players Gerrard, Jake Kean, Jacob Mellis, Conor Wilkinson and Luke Woodland have all returned to their parent clubs.
That means nine members of the squad for the last game of the season are no longer at the club so replacements will be needed.
Harvey, 57, is an interesting addition to the backroom staff providing the experience and wisdom that Kelly and No 2 Dean Holden lack.
The Irishman previously managed Morecambe, Forest Green Rovers, Chester and Stalybridge Celtic and has been in the game for 40 years.
Kelly has also finalised his pre-season with a training camp in Scotland to take place as well as eight friendlies.
They are: Sat, July 11, Chester (A); Tues, July 14, Dumbarton (A) behind closed doors; Fri, July 17, Stirling Albion (A); Tues, July 21, Bolton (H); Wed, July 22, Trafford (A); Sat, July 25, Blackburn (A), Tues, July 28, Halifax Town (A), Sat, Aug 1, Carlisle (A).
The match against Trafford will be a Latics X1 so will not be full strength bearing in mind they play Bolton the previous night.
Before that, however, don’t forget that the league fixtures for the 2015-16 season are released on Wednesday, June 17.
The race is on to get the new North Stand completed for the start of the 2015-16 campaign on Saturday, August 8.
Latics have already sold more than 1,000 season tickets in the new stand as fans have clamoured for a seat.
Indeed, season-ticket sales stood at over 2,500 by the deadline for discounts, a 20-per-cent increase on the same period 12 months ago.
And with Bury promoted while Wigan Athletic and Blackpool were relegated, there is plenty of local interest in League One which also includes Rochdale and Bradford which are also in close proximity.
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