Shakers to go up after three horse contest - Bury Times 11 Aug 95:
THE bookies have already decided that the Endsleigh League Third Division title race is a three-horse affair and who are we to argue. Those astute gambling judges with their bulging satchels, healthy bank accounts and strange language based largely on hand signals, are on the mark more often than not.
They also have a saying for such triangular affairs...back the outsider of three. And that is a good omen for the Shakers who, after narrowly missing out on promotion last term. are - in the majority of odds lists - third best' behind Plymouth Argyle and Preston. Argyle and North End have much in common. Each of them is a club bursting with potential both on the field and off where they can call on huge crowds both home and away. Plymouth pulled in around 12,000 for recent friendly with Chelsea and could average that figure if they make a fast start. Following the much-publicised departure of Peter Shilton last season, the Pilgrims hope to progress under the new stewardship of Neil Wamock. a much-respected manager who has tasted a deal of success with Notts County and Huddersfield in recent seasons. A no-nonsense, common-sense boss. Warnock has been busier than all his rival managers in the summer.
Out went Steve Castle to Birmingham for the best part of £225,000 and Marc Edworthy Joined Crystal Palace for £350,000. In their places came a host of players headed by Sheffield United striker Adrian Littlejohn (£200.000), Mick Heathcote arrived from Cambridge for £100,000. Coventry City's Paul Williams cost £50.000 and Ronnie Mauge - who needs no introduction - and Swindon's Nicky Hammond signed on at £40,000 each.
No team facing 46 matches over nearly nine months can be said to be promotion certainties but the Pilgrims should finish in one of the three automatic slots and have had a particularly impressive pre-season having won six straight games before finding Glenn Hoddle's all-stars two goals too good last week. Preston are the other side the Shakers must fear most. They lacked a consistent goal scorer last term when Bury ended their hopes at the play-off semi-final stage. It is something that manager Gary Peters has quickly put right and the acquisition, at a cost approaching £200,000. of forwards Andy Saville (from Birmingham) and Steve Wilkinson (from Mansfield) ought to get the goals flowing. Again their fanatical support will count for a great deal during a long season and they. too, look good enough for a place in Division Two next term.
That leaves Bury as the bookies', and my own, choice for the third slot. Only time will tell if the exchange of the experienced trio Mauge, Roger Stanislaus and Tony Kelly for the less flamboyant talents of Shaun Reid, Nick Richardson and David Johnson has strengthened the squad. Certainly, when the gloss is stripped away, there is likely to be more consistency from the three new boys and Walsh is correct when he argues that the club is in a healthier position than this time last season...and we all know they were only a whisker away from promotion in May.
Andy Woodward. Stuart Bimson and Phil Slant were all laic additions last term and the contention is that if they had been in the squad from the of! then Bury would have coasted into a higher grade. We shall see. Pre-season has been low key and 1argely unimpressive but that doesn't matter, lt was bound to take a few games to get the rust and disappointment of Wembley out of the system and when the stalls open at Northampton tomorrow the Shakers are expected to be up with pace right from the off. They have probably the best defence and. in Gary Kelly, certainly the best goalkeeper in the division and that ought to be the basis for a sustained and successful push for a top three place. My main concern lies with the strikers where Walsh must find his best combination quickly. Phil Stant will again score a bagfull of goals given the right service hut his best partner remains an open question. It's vital that given a 4-4-2 formation, the Shakers have two men up front contributing regularly to the goals tally.
So that's the 1-2-3 taken care of. What about the outsiders? If Scunthorpe was a racehorse it would undoubtedly he fitted with blinkers. Seemingly reluctant to gallop in the early part of the season the Dave Moore managed Iron always come with a late rattle but invariably find that the post has come too soon. They have plenty of ability in their ranks and they may reach the play-offs if they can overcome the loss of Graham Alexander to Luton. Fulham are an altogether classier animal and they must be quietly confident for boss lan Branfoot has largely kept the same stable as last year. In has come former Preston striker Mike Conroy and Lea Barkus from Reading and out has gone long serving Jim Stannard (Gillingham). The\ will take some beating at the Cottage but again fourth or fifth is about then best hope unless the more fancied sides take a tumble.
Real - or is it Athletico? - Wigan have one of the best young managers in Senor Graham Barrow who. instead of spending his summer sunbathing on the Costas, went shopping in Spain. No one knows just how new signings Jesus Seba, Roberto Martinez and Isido Diaz will respond to a diet of pie barms but if they take to the local delicacy then promotion will not he paella in the sky.
Barrow is one of the game's brightest young managers. He has already tasted promotion success with Chester City two seasons ago and turned around Wigan's fortunes at the end of last term. To add to Barrow's skills, the Latics have an ambitious chairman in Dave Whelan has already signalled his intent. Ticket prices have been frozen at last year's levels, the club are offering a 50% reduction in admission cost at the first home game and have splashed out a record £87,500 for Chris Lightfoot. The bookies are certainly impressed, they've trimmed the Latics odds from 40-1 to 10-1.
While Wigan appear on the up. one of last season's play-off contestants. Mansfield, have lost three key players in Paul Holland (Sheffield United) Steve Wilkinson (Preston) and Darren Ward (Notts Co). They are three big holes to fill and Andy King's men will do well to repeat last year's great effort. Relegated Cardiff City with new manager Kenny Hibbitt can count on a lot of support but may need another year before they bounce back and Cambridge are likely to pose much more of a threat. The.rest are all capable of causing the odd shock result with Torquay -even without the decamped Darren Moore (Doncaster) and Gregory Goodridge (QPR) - Colchester. Lincoln and Doncaster topping my list of likely outsiders.
Bury, though, have the resources. the will power and the backstage organisation to carry through a successful promotion push though they will need to be on their toes early in the campaign with successive games against Preston, Plymouth, and Wigan in twelve days at the end of August and beginning of September.