The Exiled Files

Friday, 05 March 1999

Lucketti looks to answer critics - Bolton Evening News:
BURY skipper Chris Lucketti today declared war on his team's critics, writes Mike Hulme. The normally placid Lucketti admitted: "I'd love to get a result tomorrow to shove a lot of people's words back down their throats." Lucketti is furious at snipes about the Shakers' team spirit, blasting: "People are saying the players are not together but that's rubbish. "We're getting stick off everybody including the national press and television who don't know anything about us. It doesn't help the confidence of the team but it makes us more determined than ever to stick together and fight our way out of this situation. "Criticism like this affects me because as captain you are proud of the team. It's not a nice feeling to hear your team talked about like this and I'd love to shove their words back down their throats tomorrow. "I know a lot of people have written us off and it will be nice when we prove them wrong." Adrian Littlejohn will replace the suspended Lutel James for the visit of Crystal Palace tomorrow when left back Paul Williams will also be available after recovering from a thigh injury. Midfielder Darren Bullock begins a three-match ban.

Shakers Duo Miss Palace Trip - Nationwide Web Site:
Bury manager Neil Warnock is without defender Darren Bullock and striker Lutel James for the home clash with poor travellers Crystal Palace. Bullock is serving the first of a three-match ban, while James is just starting a four-game stint on the sidelines. Chris Swailes returns after suspension as Bury bid to drag themselves out of the relegation mire against a side who have won just twice away from home this season.

I'm staying put - Warnock - The Bury Times:
UNDER-FIRE manager Neil Warnock says he will NOT quit Gigg Lane. The Shakers boss has vowed to steer the club to Division One safety and has dismissed talk of him throwing the towel in. He told the Bury Times last night: "The chairman knows I will be here as long as he wants me. I am going to repay him for giving me this job and I am fighting like hell to keep us in this division. "I believe the club needs me just as much as I need the club. A lot of fans realise the problems we have down here - but a lot don't. "I still believe we can get out of this, although the next five games are going to be crucial." Pressure is mounting on the Shakers boss who has guided the team to just three wins from their last 28 matches - a shocking run of form which has seen them plummet into the relegation zone. Newspaper reports early in the week suggested chairman Terry Robinson was ready to sack Warnock had they lost against Wolves on Tuesday night - a game which was postponed. But Robinson has denied the manager's job is on the line. He said: "There's definitely nothing in it. It's just an unfounded flyer taken by a reporter on a tabloid daily newspaper who probably writes about 20 of them a week! "What we need at the club at this moment in time is for everyone to pull together Ð manager, board, supporters and players - to ensure we get enough points for safety." Warnock added: "I don't give any credence to this story, or the source which it has come from." Bury's team for tomorrow's home clash with Crystal Palace (kick-off 3pm) will have a different look to the one which was humiliated 4-0 at Tranmere last weekend. Midfielder Darren Bullock, who played his first full 90 minutes for the club at Prenton Park, is suspended for the next three matches after losing an appeal against his dismissal in the Norwich game. Striker Lutel James is also ruled out after picking up a four-match ban for a reserve team sending off. He will be replaced by Adrian Littlejohn, who was dropped for the Tranmere match, while full back Paul Williams has recovered from a thigh strain and is back in the reckoning. Nick Daws, meanwhile, has fully recovered from the back problem which hampered his game at Tranmere. "There will be a few changes this week," said Warnock. "Myself and Ron Reid will be chatting about what formation to play, although that is not my real concern. "What we need is some battling spirit. It is no good having eight or nine cogs on a wheel and two broken ones. We all have to be functioning and must be on the same wavelength. "The majority of the players have picked themselves up. A couple of heads are still down, but it is nothing a good win couldn't put right. "I went watching Palace in their 1-1 draw with Sheffield United on Tuesday. They are strong, break quickly and are well organised, but we have to get something out of it to stop the rot. The next three or four matches are winnable for us." Bury have already played Palace three times this season, winning one of them - a 3-0 success in the Worthington Cup second round in September. The cash-strapped Eagles were placed in the hands of administrators this week. Warnock admits he was bitterly disappointed when Tuesday's Wolves match was postponed. "We wanted to play, to get the Tranmere match out of our system as soon as possible. With the weather being so bad it could have been a bit of a leveller for us," he added. "The good news is that it will be played soon because we will still have the on-loan lads here." Bury lost their Lancashire FA Youth Cup semi-final at Blackpool this week 2-1, while the reserves were beaten 3-2 at Hartlepool

Thursday, 04 March 1999

Wolves Match Rearranged - The Official Bury FC Web Site:
No time has been lost in agreeing a re-arranged date with Wolverhampton Wanderers to play the First Division fixture that was postponed on Tuesday due to a waterlogged pitch. The two clubs will now meet -weather permitting- at Gigg Lane on Tuesday 16th March, kick-off 7.45 p.m. Any tickets purchased for the original game will be valid for the re-arranged date. The Wolves game will also be the next fixture in which Darren Bullock will be able to take part, as the midfielder commences a three-match ban on Saturday, which takes in the games against Crystal Palace, Bristol City and Barnsley. The weather continues to create problems for the Shakers and the players were today training on the artificial surface at Albert Park in Broughton due to the state of the pitches at Goshen. Another game, which was recently re-arranged, is Bury's home game against Sunderland, which due to international call-ups by Peter Reid's team will now be played on Tuesday, 13th April. Kick-off 7.45 p.m.

Tuesday, 02 March 1999

Shakers Wait for Sunderland - Manchester Evening News:
Bury's home clash with first division leaders Sunderland, managed by ex-Manchester City boss Peter Reid, has been put back due to international commitments. The all ticket game will now take place on Tue April 13. Kick off at 1945.

Lucky Message - Manchester Evening News:
Bury captain Chris Lucketti rallied his teammates today with a "Don't Panic" message. The big defender, who was one of the few Shakers to emerge with any credit from the Hammering at Tranmere, told MEN sport: "We have got to be strong. Many of us, such as the more established players, and myself have been through this before and survived. It was the same story last year when we were bottom of the table and bounced back. We have got everything to play for and we must not start feeling sorry for ourselves. I have been relegated once before in my career when I was at Halifax and it was a horrible feeling. No pro wants to be relegated and my message to the lads is that we must not throw away all the good work that has got us First Division status". Lucketti is one of the few Shakers guaranteed to keep his place tonight when Bury entertain Wolves at Gigg Lane. Manager Neil Warnock said: "I am picking from 18 players. We need players with big hearts wanting to battle and battle again."

Missing Midfielders pose big Problems - Bury Times:
The Shakers midfield will be stripped to the bone for the visit of Barnsley on March 13. Mark Patterson was booked at Prenton Park on Saturday and will be suspended for the clash with the Tykes - at the same time as new signing Darren Bullock, who has picked up a three match ban for his red card against Norwich last week. Neil Warnock said: "I nearly pulled Patterson off after he gave the third goal away, but I thought if I did he would probably take his shirt off and throw it at me. I should have brought him off, but I left him on for 10 more minutes and now he is suspended. It is really disappointing, particularly when Mark gets booked for that and one of their lads was not even cautioned for the tackle on Chris Billy in the second half. It is criminal really, but I am not blaming the referee. I thought he did alright." Bury's appeal against Bullock's sending off, for an alleged kick on Norwich's peter Grant, was dismissed by the FA

Boss gets tough after humiliating defeat at Tranmere - Warnock battles for team morale - Bury Times:
Bury's players felt the full force of Neil Warnock's anger yesterday as he doubled their training work load ahead of tonight's crunch Division One clash with Wolves at Gigg lane. The Shakers boss put his men through their paces in the wake of Saturday's humiliating 4-0 defeat at Tranmere. And he admits it is going to be tough to raise a shattered morale in time for the crucial match. "The Atmosphere in the changing room was rock bottom after Tranmere and it is going to be hard to lift people for another game so soon," he said. "We have Wolves and then Crystal Palace this week and it does not look good at the moment, but we will have to show plenty of bulldog spirit - which we didn't do in the Tranmere game. When it is like this nobody wants the ball and some of the players probably hoped I would leave them out. But there are other teams struggling down there, not just us. We must fight on. I don't think we could take anything from the defeat. We were well and truly stuffed. I feel very embarrassed. If Wolves were at Prenton Park to watch us I think they will have gone home at half time. They'll probably send their reserves." Promotion chasing Wolves drew 2-2 at Huddersfield on Saturday and are clear favourites for tonight's confrontation. Warnock has few options in his team selection. The Shakers, who stay in the bottom three, were almost at full strength against Tranmere and were still totally outplayed. Only Chris Swailes was missing through suspension, although the centre half will return tonight. On Saturday's performance, Warnock added: "It was not just disappointing for the fans, but for me. There is a certain way of losing, and that was not the way. The last time I felt like this was at Bolton, where we also laid down. "We don't have many fans, but they deserve much better than that. We were lucky not to be out of the game in the first 20 minutes. They had some great chances and it should have been dead by then. The second goal killed us off. When that went in our heads went down because we are not likely to score two. Confidence is low because we haven't won in 12 games. We haven't got the type of players that can talk and bring things on. We need talkers out there on the field. I don't think we won a worthwhile tackle all game. Tranmere won every tackle, every header, and every second ball. For some reason we went out there and did things completely different from training. I can't work that out." Warnock re-shuffled the pack for the visit to the Wirral, starting the game with Steve Redmond as sweeper and playing Laurent D'Jaffo alone up front. In a bid to chase the game both Lutel James and Nigel Jemson were added to the attack in the second half with a return to a flat back four. The Bury manager admits the move backfired. He said: "We were only losing1-0 with a sweeper and lost 4-0 with a back four. I made the move because I thought we had nothing to lose. I wanted us to score a goal, to be honest. Without making a change I couldn't see how that was going to happen. I thought Laurent did superbly on his own and I thanked him after the game. Chris Lucketti and Dean Kiely could not be faulted."

It could have been 10 - Aldo - Bury Times:
Tranmere boss John Aldridge rubbed salt into Bury's wounds on Saturday when he admitted "we could have scored 10." The delighted Rovers manager said. "We scored some very well taken goals and had 10 to 15 chances. We caused Bury problems with the width we were getting. My players were really up for this game because they knew the chips were down for Bury."

Defender back for Shakers - Bolton Evening News:
CHRIS Swailes will return to the heart of Bury's beleaguered defence tonight. The big centre half missed Saturday's 4-0 humiliation at Tranmere on Saturday and comes straight back in for the visit of Wolves to Gigg Lane. Manager Neil Warnock is almost spoiled for choice on who to leave out after admitting to being embarrassed by Saturday's performance. The Shakers must fight or die as a First Division force and on Saturday's showing they showed no stomach for the battle. Warnock responded by putting his players through extra training and will be urging each and every one of them to show the spirit tonight, which has been behind the club's meteoric rise from the Third to the First Division in the last few years. He said: "The atmosphere in the changing room was rock bottom after Tranmere and it is going to be hard to lift people for another game so soon. "We have Wolves and then Crystal Palace this week and it does not look good at the moment, but we will have to show plenty of bulldog spirit - which we didn't do in the Tranmere game. "When it is like this nobody wants the ball and some of the players probably hoped I would leave them out. But there are other teams struggling down there, not just us. We must fight on."

Monday, 01 March 1999

Shakers Leave It Late - Nationwide Web Site:
Bury manager Neil Warnock is boosted by the return of Chris Swailes as his side aim to halt the slide which has seen them slip into the relegation zone. Swailes missed Saturday's 4-0 thrashing by Tranmere but is back in contention for the clash with Wolves. Warnock has named a squad of 18 and will leave it until the last minute before naming his side.

Red Faces All Round At Bury -0 Nationwide Web Site:
Bury boss Neil Warnock was embarrassed by his side's 4-0 defeat at Tranmere. "It's no good kidding ourselves. It was embarrassing really. Our travelling fans deserve better than that," he said. Warnock admitted Bury were lucky to be in it when only one down at half time. "The game should have been dead after 20 minutes. Tranmere won every tackle, every header and every second ball. We just did not seem to do the things we had achieved in training. "Confidence is low when you are now winning games. Their second goal killed us off. It was just damage limitation after that."

Sunday, 28 February 1999

D'Jaffo calls - Express Sport Web Site:
Bury striker Laurent D'Jaffo issued a defiant message after the mauling at Tranmere. He said: "Everyone is expecting us to go down but there is still a long way to go and we can escape. We must stick together and work hard." Graham Allen, Scott Taylor Liam O'Brien and Jason Koumas scored for Tranmere and manager John Aldridge said: "We could have had 10."

Saturday, 27 February 1999

Defeat Leaves Warnock Fuming - Sporting Life Web Site:
Bury manager Neil Warnock offered no excuses after their 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Tranmere at Prenton Park, calling the display "embarrassing". Warnock fumed: "It's no good kidding ourselves. It was embarrassing really. Our travelling fans deserve better than that."Warnock admitted Bury were lucky to be in it when only one down at half time. "The game should have been dead after 20 minutes. Tranmere won every tackle, every header and every second ball. We just did not seem to do the things we had achieved in training. "Confidence is low when you are now winning games. Their second goal killed us off. It was just damage limitation after that." Tranmere boss John Aldridge was much happier. "We could have had 10 goals today. It was a thoroughly competent performance. There was a lot of good movement. The lads have been working their socks off and if we can get into a top 10 position eventually it will be a terrific achievement for us."

Lutel completes fairytale - Bolton Evening News:
Lutel James' rag to riches story is complete. The striker must have been shaking his head in disbelief since being plucked out of non-league football last October. A baptism of fire saw him go from playing in the Unibond Premier League with Hyde United straight into a Worthington Cup tie against Manchester United in front of more than 50,000 fans. In a whirlwind four months in the professional game he has gone onto play his part in Bury's First Division relegation fight where he has played against opponents who were on thousands of pounds a week while he was picking up just £200. It has been quite a culture shock for the youngster but his acclimatisation to the big time has impressed Gigg Lane boss Neil Warnock who this week rewarded James with a new Two and a half year contract. The manager enthused. "After a promising start, I think his form dipped a little bit while he was in negotiations. But know that is behind him I think you will start to see the real Lutel again." The bad news for James, however, is that a sending off while playing for the reserves last week leaves him facing a four match ban."

New Boys Get The Skippers Vote: - The Pink:
Shakers skipper Chris Lucketti has given his verdict on the new boys who were on parade during the bitterly disappointing defeat against Norwich. He's leapt to the defence of midfielder Darren Bullock, who was controversially sent off after just 11 minutes of his debut following the £200,000 move from Swindon. And the captain reckons once winger Paul Hall and defender Carl Serrant have some games under their belts Bury's first division status will be assured. On Bullock, Lucketti said. "He certainly gives 100 per cent. He'll die for the cause and he's the sort of player you just love to be on your team. We're going to need him that's for sure." Regarding Serrant, the big defender said, "He is assured and confident and although he's so young has gathered a lot of experience. He's a good signing." And the captain's view on Hall, "He gives us pace and width and is a great crosser. It is so useful to have a direct supply line to the strikers." Both Newcastle defender Serrant and Coventry's wideman Hall are on one month's loan deals at Gigg lane. Serrant, 23, was with Bury boss Neil Warnock at Oldham while Jamaican World Cup star Hall is also well known to the Manager. Hall, 26, who was born at Withington Hospital and brought up in Moss Side said. "This is a perfect opportunity to get extra first team experience and prove myself. I was involved in a relegation fight at Portsmouth but there is a better attitude here at Bury. In this division anyone can beat anyone else." Hall added, "During the Norwich match none of the lads' heads dropped, even though we were down to ten men. Everyone battled to the final whistle and that's just what is needed." Warnock proclaimed himself, "relatively happy" with the performances of Hall and Serrant but was furious that Bullock was sent off. He blamed the referee for red-carding the midfielder but has also admitted his new signings brought much of the trouble upon himself by having his head shaved pre-match. The boss said, " It was particularly hard for Hall to get the service he needs when we were reduced to ten men. Carl looked cool and collected.... Nothing troubled him." Warnock is unlikely to bring in any more new faces short term although he's been checking long term targets.

Friday, 26 February 1999

The following letters were printed in the Bury Times today:
Not Good Enough - Anon:
As a Bury Fan over the last 56 years, I have had my ups and downs, but never the despair that many or our supporters and myself are feeling now. Whilst I appreciate the dedication Terry Robinson gives to the club, his ability to shoot himself in the foot is undeniable! Although many of us had deep reservations upon his insistence that Neil Warnock was the man for the Managers job, he still went ahead with the appointment. If this is because he was "cheap and cheerful" he will no doubt find that it is neither of these to be in Division Two. Even though my love for Bury FC makes me sad at the present situation, I am realistic enough to believe that the team are now (after all Mr. Warnock's tinkering with the personnel) not good enough to stay up.

A Change is needed - Neil Byrne:
Yet another defeat for the Shakers and a place in the relegation area. How soon before the realisation that we are going to be relegated unless something happens quickly. Neil Warnock at the start of the season took us to new heights but only for a couple of weeks. Over a whole season we can look at individual games and clearly point to when we were robbed, it still doesn't make a season. The task for Bury was to consolidate on what they had achieved last season, they gained the respect of the division and made themselves hard to beat. No one can doubt Mr. Robinson's love and loyalty to the club but he must realise sooner or later that Warnock is going to take his club to the lower reaches of professional football. A change is needed in the coaching area.

Tactical Blunders - Damian Vincent Butler:
Regarding the missing thousands at Gigg Lane: Manager comes to the club and immediately alienates the majority of Bury FC's loyal following. Remember 1991? Bury had to sell most of the clubs family silver and still expected the fans to turn up week in, week out. Mt. Warnock has made a series of Tactical blunders. Have we ever seen our team give away so many penalties in one season? It hurts me to knock my own team but transfer wise Warnock has drawn a blank for the simple reason that many football players are reluctant to join a relegation dogfight this late in the season. All the hard work of two successive promotions is slowly sinking and with one of the last of the old guard - Johnrose - departing I fear the worst is yet to come. Over to you, Neil. Remember that this could seriously harm your career prospects!

Club has given up - Alan Duckworth:
I would like to congratulate Mr. Warnock for dismantling a team and ruining it, all within six months. The latest sale of Lennie Johnrose - and for peanuts - is the final straw. He is apparently being replaced for £25,000 less (good business Mr. Chairman!) by yet another of his old cronies. Lennie epitomised the spirit, guts, effort and 100 percent commitment that Bury had, until Warnock commenced tinkering. Now we have Preece, Billy, Redmond etc. and a manager who could inflate Richard Branson's balloon from 30 paces. The club has obviously given up on the First Division, despite the nonsense spoken at the Supporters Association Launch. So we cut our losses, show some dignity, admit the appointment was one of the biggest mistakes ever and start again from scratch. Until then, goodbye, after 40 years.

Daws is big doubt - Bury Times:
BURY'S "Mister Reliability" Nick Daws, is in a race against time to be fit for tomorrow's crucial clash at Tranmere Rovers. A niggling back injury is threatening to bring an end to the tenacious midfielder's amazing run of 151 consecutive league games. The last time Bury took to the field without the former Altrincham man was on December 9, 1995 in a Third Division clash at Barnet that resulted in a 0-0 draw. But, uncharacteristically the reigning fans' player-of-the-year failed to finish last week's game against Norwich City and it's touch and go whether he'll recover in time to turn out at Prenton Park. Apart from Chris Swailes, who misses the game through suspension, Daws is manager Neil Warnock's only major doubt as the Shakers go in search of that elusive first away win of the campaign. New-signing Darren Bullock will be keen to get in longer than eleven minutes following his early red card last weekend and whatever happens regarding his appeal over the dismissal (expected to be concluded early next week) he will be available for Tuesday evening's vital home clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers. But Warnock isn't looking any further than tomorrow's game at Birkenhead which he envisages being a tough encounter. "Every game's a cup final for us now," he said. "When Tranmere came to Gigg Lane I thought they were one of the best side's we'd played, and that's when they were having a bad time! "In the past few matches I've felt we were a good bet to pick up points but tomorrow they will be the favourites because their current form is good and they're scoring goals. "We'll have to look out for the missile of a long throw from Dave Challinor and we've been working hard to counter it." Warnock hasn't ruled out another addition to the squad in the coming weeks but gratefully reported that his phone has been quiet regarding rival clubs chasing his players. Left back Dean Barrick has joined Ayr United on a month's loan. Bury's home clash with Bolton has been brought forward a day to Friday, April 23, and will be shown on Sky TV, kick-off 7.45pm.

Ten man Shakers lose the script - Bury Times:
Bury 0, Norwich City 2. WITH three debutantes on show, skipper Chris Lucketti back in the side and the surprise return of top scorer Laurent D'Jaffo, this was all set to be Bury's day. An air of excitement and expectation swept across Gigg Lane as the club prepared for its first victory since December 5. But it lasted just 11 minutes. By this time the Shakers were down to 10 men and only the most optimistic die-hard was still predicting a home win. The game was effectively killed off as a contest when referee Mark Warren saw fit to dismiss new £200,000 signing Darren Bullock for what looked, on video evidence, a quite innocuous challenge. The midfield Bulldog, sporting a shaven head for the occasion, was adjudged to have deliberately kicked City's Peter Grant in the head after the two had become entangled in a tackle. Sadly, Bullock's hard man reputation goes before him these days with his every move closely scrutinised by officials. Many would argue he only has himself to blame, last month he was suspended for two games by the FA after collecting his 11th yellow card of the season, but in a game so crucial to a club struggling for its First Division survival, common sense should surely have prevailed. Bullock vehemently denied the charge after the game and promised to appeal against any punishment. Whether that will wash with Lancaster Gate's disciplinary committee remains to be seen. Manager Neil Warnock, clearly angry with police officer Warren's decision, said: "I didn't see the incident, but I looked at the video after the game and I think it was harsh. There was no way Darren could have got out of it. "I do not think I have ever seen a game where one person has decided a result. I don't think Norwich have beaten us, I don't think they won the game." Referee Warren refused to comment on the incident after the game as he was ushered to his car by his two linesmen, but did promise to take a close look at the video tape. Ironically, the man Bullock replaced at Gigg Lane, Lennie Johnrose, suffered the same fate in his second appearance for Burnley on the same day. That will come as little or no consolation, though. Norwich played more like fairies than Canaries with nearly all their players hitting the deck at some stage of the game, unhappy at the tough, but fair, challenges from the battling Shakers. In fact, City's physio spent more time on the pitch than Bullock! Bury held on for nearly half an hour before they were finally broken. After Dean Kiely had pulled off a stunning save to deny Craig Bellamy, the youngster was back to find the net within a minute, jabbing past the keeper after he had blocked Adrian Forbes' effort. Another cruel blow quickly followed. Not in the shape of a goal, but in the substitution of the injured Nick Daws, whose presence was vital in the absence of Bullock. Nigel Jemson was kicking himself on the stroke of half time when his header from Mark Patterson's corner fell kindly for Bury-born Andy Marshall in the Norwich goal. Bury continued to fight for an unlikely equaliser after the break but their hopes were extinguished 18 minutes from time when another Craig, this time Fleming, headed home from a hotly-disputed corner. Paul Hall and Carl Serrant played solidly in their first of seven outings, with Hall looking the most likely Shaker to create an opening. The best chances, however, came from late free kicks with substitute Andy Preece firing inches over the crossbar three minutes into injury-time before Patterson came even closer but his effort was palmed over by Marshall. Twelve matches without a win is a worrying statistic for all at Gigg Lane. Even more concerning is the sight of the club in the bottom three for the first time this season, with only 14 games to play.

I'll help Bury stay up - Hall - Bury Times:
WITHOUT question, one of the biggest plus points to come out of the shattering 2-0 Norwich defeat was the performance of on-loan Coventry winger Paul Hall. His surging runs down the right flank were the only consistent threat to the Canaries, whose boss Bruce Rioch had labelled the Jamaican as "the dangerman" before kick-off. The sad part for Shakers fans is they will only see the exciting 26-year-old for six more games before he returns to Highfield Road. But Hall has only one thing on his mind in the meantime, helping drag his "new" club out of trouble. "I definitely think I can help Bury move clear of the danger area because I am looking to score goals," he said. "I want to do the best I can and I think I can be a good appointment for the team. "Hopefully I can carry on and play as well as I did against Norwich. It was a good debut from my point of view, but the result was obviously the big blow." The man of the match added: "I know I didn't mark my debut with a win, but I have six other games now and hopefully we will do better in those. "I would have traded my man of the match award for the victory because every point counts now, even a draw." Hall, who played for the "Reggae Boyz" in France 98, was only signed by Gordon Strachan last year after five years with Portsmouth and four at Torquay before that. But the Manchester-born star had no hesitation about returning to his roots, if only for a month. "I know Neil from a long way back. He was the one that sold me to Portsmouth in the first place," he revealed. "He has a certain loyalty to the players he sells on and those players want to play for him. He understands the way I play and I understand what he wants. I was delighted to come here." Hall was not the only debutante on show against Norwich. As well as £200,000 signing Bullock, who will be in a hurry to forget his big day, Newcastle's £1m-plus-rated left back Carl Serrant impressed. He also has six games of his loan spell remaining. Hall believes every Bury player could take something from the defeat. He said: "We were always back-pedalling after the Darren Bullock dismissal, but we had our chances and I think it is encouraging that we stood up and fought well. "We gave away a soft goal in the first half but, even with 10 men, I felt we could still get something from the game. "We should take some hope from the defeat. If we play like we did against Norwich, but with a full team, then I think we will get some points soon." He admits he did not have the best view of Bullock's clash with City's Peter Grant, but believes the referee was harsh. "I was watching the ball so didn't see the incident. I thought the referee could have shown a bit of composure, though, and, as it was early in the game, either warned or booked Darren. He pulled the red out so quickly that it shocked everybody," he added.

I'm playing on - Lucketti - Bury Times:
CHRIS Lucketti has vowed to play on for the Shakers and help steer the club to First Division safety. The inspirational skipper, who has been pursued by Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town in recent weeks, has shrugged off transfer talk to concentrate on the job in hand. He told the Bury Times: "It is very flattering to be linked with big clubs, as I seem to have been for a number of years now, but I just get on with it. "Until the club comes to me and says it has accepted a bid, I will just keep playing for Bury Football Club." The fit-again 27-year-old was visibly shattered after Saturday's 2-0 home defeat to Norwich City, in which new signing Darren Bullock was dismissed. Lucketti admits it should have been Bury's day. "I was gutted with the result because I thought this was the day we were going to pick up three points," he said. "We had the new lads in the team, there was a buzz around the place and everybody was looking forward to the match. "But the sending off changed the game, we will never know that for sure, but all the players believe that was the case. With 11 men I think we could have won the match." Of the Bullock dismissal he added: "I was behind the incident, but it looked like Darren had got to the ball first and the Norwich lad had actually caught him. It looked like an accident but the referee was right near it and had no hesitation in getting the card out. "You wouldn't have known we had 10 men out there for long periods after the sending off. Everybody raised their game and gave everything they had. I don't think any player could have given any more." And no one could accuse Lucketti of a lack of effort. After declaring himself fit to play, despite a niggling thigh strain, he captain produced another captain's performance. "The injury has gone now and I feel good," he said. "I was delighted to be back because I hate missing games. To miss two was a big disappointment."

Warnock World - We'll make our own luck - Bury Times:
I thought the fans were superb last week. When we were down to ten men it would have been easy to pick on players, but they didn't; they got behind us totally. That is how positive we have got to be. We have difficult games at Tranmere and against Wolves in the space of four days, but the players have to stand up and be counted - it's as simple as that. We are in the last 14 games now and have to scrap for every point. Nobody is going to do us any favours. I think we know that now. We don't get favours down at Bury. You only have to look at some of the penalty decisions this season that have cost us dearly. We have to make our own luck and also get positive for the battles that lie ahead

Warnock World - Confusing Decisions - Bury Times:
They say things never surprise you in football, but I must admit I was gobsmacked in the second half of our match on Saturday. I was stood watching as Norwich were awarded a corner kick when it was an obvious goalkick - and when they scored from it I thought, "somebody must have run over a black cat here this week!" Everything that could have gone wrong for us went wrong. It was no consolation to me when I saw the video after the game that Darren Bullock was clearly dealt with harshly and that, in fact, City's Peter Grant, had gone over the top to Darren. But with the referee being positioned behind Darren he couldn't see that. To issue a red card like that was very hasty, but Mr. Warren, a first year referee, has got to learn from experience. Sadly I think we were on the receiving end of some of that experiencing gaining. There were challenges going on everywhere, especially by their number three, Erik Fugelstad, who was eventually booked. He made a couple of horrific tackles, one in the second half, which should have been a red card. As soon as the referee let him off Bruce Rioch shouted to get him straight off the field and substituted him because he knows he should have been sent off. Then we had the situation at the end where poor old Chris Swailes was booked for an innocuous challenge only to be told by the referee that Lee Marshall had been fouled seven times by Mark Patterson and that was why he was booking him. Patterson should really have been sent off if that was the case, having already been booked. All these things are sent to try us. We know how difficult it's been but we have to get on with it. The players have been superb in training. We have had to use the pitch this week because the training ground has been very poor with all the water. There has not been doom and gloom around the area. The players have responded magnificently

Shakers Chase First Win In 99- Nationwide Web Site:
Bury boss Neil Warnock is missing defender Chris Swailes through suspension as the Shakers search for their first win of 1999. Midfielder Nick Daws is also doubtful after a back injury forced him off after 10 minutes of the 2-0 defeat by Norwich last weekend. Warnock has added Ryan Souter and Steve Redmond to his squad for the trip to Prenton Park to tackle Tranmere.

Wednesday, 24 February 1999

Chaps - I am going up to Bury tomorrow, hopefully I will get a couple of Games in (Tranmere and possibly Wolves). Obviously this is going to have a really bad affect on this site, mainly cos I won't be able to update it until I get back (Wednesday). Apologies to the regulars but I will be using my mailing list once I have got it updated next week to inform you all that it is now on-line etc.

Bullock Waits On Ref - The Bury Times Midweeker (Faxed to me by me mum).
Shakers Expect "Quick Decision" On Midfielder's Fate. Darren Bullock faced an anxious wait last night for news of whether his controversial sending off will be quashed by the FA. The midfielder was red-carded after just 11 minutes of his Shakers debut on Saturday for alleged violent conduct towards Norwich City's Peter Grant. It is a charge which both Bullock and Bury Football Club are strongly denying. Within minutes of the final whistle, management were studying slow motion picture replays of the incident and preparing an appeal. Only if referee Mark Warren decides he made a mistake can Bullock be cleared. If not, last week's £200,000 signing from Swindon faces another date at Lancaster Gate, where he was issued with a two match suspension only last month. Chairman Terry Robinson explained: "We have sent a video of the occurrence to the FA with a letter asking the referee to review the sending off. "They should receive that on Tuesday and we expect a quick decision. If they ask the referee to take another look at the tape, the decision is in his hands. The FA cannot overrule him." Ten-man Bury battled bravely to hold Bruce Rioch's Canaries but were nudged into the relegation zone by goals from Craig Bellamy and Craig Fleming. Manager Neil Warnock said: "After looking at the video in my office I think the decision was very harsh. "The Norwich player looked to top Darren Bullock on his standing foot and as he looked to avoid it I don't think he could have got out of the way. "To be fair to the referee it doesn't look as bad in slow motion because you can see he couldn't avoid it." He added: "I remember saying to Bruce (Rioch) in the second half that if they don't beat us today they never will. "I said to the lads after the game that you can see nobody is going to help Bury and we've got to do it ourselves. "We showed a lot of spirit, which doesn't surprise me, and with the team we fielded we'll give anybody a good run for their money, but Norwich will have been delighted to beat us. "Both our loan signings did okay. The whole team tried their hardest in very difficult circumstances. "I'd love to know what the referee thought of his performance." Ten men rarely come back - Rioch Grateful Norwich boss Bruce Rioch was quick to acknowledge that Darren Bullock's 11th minute dismissal was the crucial factor in his side's victory on Saturday. "The sending off made it easier for us in some respects but you still have to win the game," he said. "Statistically when you are a goal ahead against ten men they rarely come back to win, they may get a draw but not a win, so once we scored the second goal I was sure we'd secured the result. "But we're delighted with the three points although we didn't capitalise on our numerical superiority as we might. "We knew it was going to be a very difficult match before we came, they are never easy games against Bury at Gigg Lane. "They had brought in three new faces and that can give a team a lift. We felt that the pace of Paul Hall might be a threat for us and we couldn't afford to be the wrong side of him when he received passes but he only got away once in the second half." The former Bolton Wanderers boss was critical of the Gigg Lane surface and explained that probably spoiled the game as a spectacle. "It wasn't a fluent game and neither side got the ball down and knocked it about but the pitch is poor by league standards. "You can see a lot of reserve matches are played on it, so you just have to play to the conditions. "I didn't see the sending off incident but I noticed the referee pulled out the red card quickly and he seemed to be well placed to the incident. "It's the first time we've put together two consecutive clean sheets and any club who has aspirations to get into the play-off positions needs to put a good run of results together so this will give us a boost," he added.

Monday, 22 February 1999

Grant is given the boot as his pals get nasty - The Sun:
Bury new boy Darren Bullock was sent off for kicking Peter Grant in the face. But it was Norwich who put the boot in. They dumped their normal fancy football and played Bury at their own game, scrapping and battling for everything. Not that Grant looked totally happy wit the new gloves off approach. The game was barely a couple of minutes old when he got his first crunching tackle from Bullock, a £200,000 mid week signing from Swindon. Then, after just 11 minutes, he fell under another no-nonsense clash from the midfield hardman and collected a boot in the face into the bargain. Grant declared: "I got smacked full in the face with his boot. I thought it was an accident and that he had been trying to hurdle me. But the other boys said he definitely kicked out at me. I don't like to see anyone sent off. But if it's illegal, he has to go. We know Bury are a tough side, who scrap and fight for everything. Yet sometimes I think they go over the top. Here though, we showed them we can also stand up and be counted and scrap just as much as they can. We're not simply a team that likes to play good football. We have nothing to fear from anyone." Free falling Bury are now in desperate trouble, following their 11^th game without a win. And their relegation battle will be made all the harder if Bury lose their appeal against Bullocks red card, as looks likely. Hot headed Bullock, who has already served THREE bans this season, protested his innocence at half time before being gagged by boss Neil Warnock. He claimed: "Its a joke. He was going to do me, but the ref didn't want to know. I had nowhere to go and my boot just caught his face." Guilty or not, Bury now have a mountain to climb after falling into the drop zone for the first time. Norwich on the other hand, are back in with a slim hope of the play-offs following a fluky close range shot from Craig Bellamy and a Craig Fleming header. Bellamy said: "People have been writing us off, but we're only a few points from the play-off spots with a game in hand. It is still in reach. We have proved we are a battling side as well as a flair side".

Shakers see red - Bolton Evening News:
Bad boy Darren Bullock is facing another date with the FA after lasting just 11 minutes on his Shakers debut. The former Swindon hardman, who moved to Gigg Lane last week in a £200,000 deal, was given his marching orders for allegedly kicking City's Peter Grant in the head. Bullock vehemently denied the charge after the game and promised to appeal against the sending off. Whether that will wash with Lancaster Gate's disciplinary committee is another matter. The no-nonsense midfielder is clearly a marked man with referees these days. Last month he became only the second player in English football, behind Southampton's Mark Hughes, to collect 11 yellow cards this season. His latest misdemeanour could result in a lengthy lay-off at the most crucial stage of Bury's campaign. Manager Neil Warnock, clearly livid with police officer Mark Warren's decision, said: "I didn't see the incident, but I looked at the video after the game and I think it was harsh. There was no way Darren could have got out of it. "I do not think I have ever seen a game where one person has decided a result. I don't think Norwich have beaten us, I don't think they won the game." Referee Warren refused to comment on the incident after the game as he was ushered to his car by his two linesmen, but did promise to take a close look at the video tape. Ironically, the man Bullock replaced at Gigg Lane, Lennie Johnrose, suffered the same fate in his second appearance for Burnley on the same day. That will come as little or no consolation, though. Goals from Craig Bellamy and Craig Fleming secured the points for Bruce Rioch's Canaries and nudged the Shakers into the bottom three for the first time this season in the process. Bellamy's 29th minute opener was more the result of luck than judgement as a blocked shot from Adrian Forbes ricocheted off the youngster's shins and past Dean Kiely. Bury had battled gamely with 10 men in a bid to grab a share of the spoils, but when Fleming headed home from a hotly-disputed corner 18 minutes from time the game was over. It is now 12 matches since the club's die-hard fans last tasted triumph, against West Brom on December 5.

Bury Dogged ! Turmoil as ref sends new boy off - The Pink:
Bad boy Darren Bullock who revels in his nickname of Bulldog landed himself in the doghouse - just 11 minutes into his Gigg Lane debut. With his head clean-shaven especially for his first game since his £200,000 move from Swindon, the midfielder swiftly made an impact on ref Mike Warren who red carded him after a bad tempered midfield clash with Norwich's Peter Grant. At half time in the sponsors lounge, Bullock - who has one of the worst disciplinary records in English football - protested his innocence and told the Pink he would definitely be appealing. It was new faces all round but sadly the same old story for the Shakers who toiled to create clear cut chances and fell behind on the half hour to a bizarre goal. And 10-man Bury went further behind after a highly disputed second half corner. Ex-Oldham defender Craig Fleming arrived late at the far post to put his team further into the lead. As well as captain Chris Lucketti and striker Laurent D'Jaffo welcomed back after injury, Bury had two loan signings from Premiership clubs - Carl Serrant signed from Newcastle and Paul Hall of Coventry making their debuts too. Bullock disputed virtually all the referee's early decisions and when he and Grant clattered into one another in the centre circle, policeman Mr Warren decided it was time to lay down the law! Bullock's debut was a stark contrast to that of Serrant who was calm and in total control as left full back while the other new boy Paul Hall was struggling to make an early impact wide on the right. Manchester born Hall got in a good cross for D'Jaffo but the Frenchman was offside. Norwich's best chance during the first quarter fell to Jackson whose header looped on to the top of the bar. Bruce Rioch's men were matching the Shakers spirit& but it was always the home side players in trouble with the ref. Mark Patterson was booked but Grant and Llewellyn were not even shown yellow cards after touch challenges which sparked cries of "cheat cheat" aimed at the ref. With Bury struggling to reorganise they went behind to a strange goal from Bellamy. Home keeper Dean Kiely made a brilliant close range save seconds earlier from Bellamy but when Forbes hammered goalwards moments later he couldn't hold the shot and the ball ricocheted off Bellamy into the back of the net. It was heartbreaking for Kiely who has been in excellent form despite the Shakers not winning since December 5th. Bury manager Neil Warnock was becoming even more animated as half time neared and the visitors looked like increasing their lead. The home side's cause was not helped when Warnock was forced to withdraw midfielder Nick Daws and replace him with Dean West. Shakers fans feared the worst after Patterson was again spoken to by the strict ref but this time didn't show his yellow card. Norwich's Norwegian defender Fuglestad was booked, but from the resulting free kick, Nigel Jemson's tame header was easily saved. Desperate for a break-through, Warnock made a bold double substitution replacing D'Jaffo and Jemson with fellow strikers Andy Preece and Adrian Littlejohn,

Saturday, 20 February 1999

Triple Whammy, Quality is the key for battling Shakers - The Pink & Michael Waring:
Quality counts for Bury as they pull out all the stops in their bid for first division survival. Warning signs have been flashing above Gigg Lane for the past few weeks as the Shakers slumped to fourth from bottom of the table. It was a situation boss Neil Warnock couldn't let continue particularly after last week's poor second half display at Portsmouth. "I told the chairman that if we carried on like that we would be relegated," said Warnock. "I set my stall out to bring in some extra quality and managed, thanks to the chairman Terry Robinson, to bring in Manchester born Paul Hall from Coventry and Carl Serrant from Newcastle. "They are both fantastic players and the beauty is that during the month that we have them they will play seven games. That's nearly half of what we have left. Money is tight and the chairman has really pulled out all the stops for us. Now we have to reward him and the fans with some wins." Former Oldham defender Serrant - once the subject of a £1.5m bid from Liverpool - and striker Hall are not the only new faces at Gigg lane, for they have also been joined by £200,000 capture from Swindon Town, Darren Bullock. The midfielder has had his team-mates "jumping" as he gets stuck into training sessions... and that's after telling the Shakers he wants to be known by his soccer nickname, Bulldog. Bullock, 30, was with Warnock at Huddersfield after the Bury manager "discovered" him at non-league Nuneaton. Before Bullock joined Nuneaton he was at Worcester City where he played in the same team as Bury striker Andy Preece. Much travelled Preece told the Pink: "Darren is a 100 per centre. He will become a favourite with the crowd at Bury who love people who get stuck in. I remember at Worcester he played one match and then missed 10. He was always in trouble be it for fouls or talking. He's a winner, a great bubbly character who has settled in well here." Bullock, a former window cleaner who joined the shakers after fellow midfielder Lennie Johnrose was sold to ex-Bury manager Stan Ternant at Burnley for £225,000, got a quick reminder of Warnock's wacky ways when he negotiated his new contract walking along the prom at Southsea, ahead of Bury's game at Portsmouth.

Sending-Off Buries Warnock's Men - Sporting Life:
The future is looking grimmer by the week for Bury as they cling on to their Division One status. They are still without a League win since early December after today's 2-0 home defeat by Norwich courtesy of goals by Craig Bellamy and Craig Fleming in each half. To add insult, they also had new signing Darren Bullock sent off for kicking an opponent, and he will be missing vital games ahead. But Bury boss Neil Warnock laid the blame for the defeat not on his red-carded star, who has a history of disciplinary problems, but at referee Mark Warren. Warnock said: "I didn't see the sending-off in the game but looking at it on video, I felt it was very harsh - Bullock couldn't get out of the way, though I haven't asked Darren about it. "I didn't think we deserved to lose and I didn't think it should have been a corner that led to their second goal, either. "It's clear nobody will want to help Bury, we will have to do it ourselves." When asked if he had spoken to the referee, an angry Warnock said: "I haven't spoken to him and if I did I would get fined. I don't want my players to speak to the press either." Norwich boss Bruce Rioch was a relieved man after seeing Norwich gain their first win of 1999. He said: "We knew it was going to be a physical game. We've had a lean spell but we got a lot of confidence from gaining a point against Barnsley in the week and this win keeps the momentum going. "We've also had two consecutive clean sheets for the first time this season here so I'm very pleased about that. "Our task was made easier by the sending-off but you still have to win the game. As long as you go out and work hard the results will come. "I didn't see the sending-off as it happened so quickly but the referee looked to be in a very good position. "There is still some confidence needed from my young midfielders but this sort of game which is very competitive will help make men of them."

Friday, 19 February 1999

Double signing lifts Shakers - Bolton Evening News:
BURY today proved their huge ambition to save their First Division lives when they recruited two Premiership reserves into their First Division relegation dogfight. Newcastle defender Carl Serrant and Coventry striker Paul Hall arrived on one-month loan deals which will keep them at Gigg Lane for almost half this season's run-in. "I think both players can do a good job for us over a month which includes seven games," declared Shakers boss Neil Warnock. Serrant, 23, signed for Newcastle from Oldham last season for a cut price £500,000 shortly before he would have been able to leave on a free under the Bosman ruling and quicksilver 26-year-old Hall, who played for Jamaica in the World Cup Finals in France Ð arrived at Highfield Road from Portsmouth for £375,000 also last season. On Serrant, who has England U-21 and 'B' caps, Warnock enthused: "I believe he's the best crosser of the ball with his left foot that I've ever seen. Coming here is a chance for him to show everyone just what he can do. "This wasn't just about bringing players in, they had to be the right players, lads with quality and the right attitude. "Both Paul and Carl wanted to come straight away. They have something to prove to their clubs and are raring to get out on the pitch." Both men go straight into the side at home to Norwich tomorrow when joint £200,000 record signing Darren Bullock will make his debut in midfield and skipper Chris Lucketti returns after missing the last two games with a thigh injury. Warnock added: "I think we've now got the staff to give teams a real game and I'm hoping we can get a run going, starting tomorrow. "It's no good kidding ourselves, this is a game we must win. All the pundits are all saying we're going down, but there's only one way we're going to get out of that and that's by rolling our sleeves up."

Bury Trio Set For Home Bow - Nationwide Web Site:
Bury boss Neil Warnock has three players set to make their home debuts for the club against off-form Norwich on Saturday. Defender Darren Bullock has signed from Swindon, while loan arrivals Carl Serrant and Paul Hall are also ready to tackle the Canaries. Warnock is also hopeful that captain Chris Lucketti will be back in action after returning to light training following a knee problem.

Shakers make double Premier League swoop - Bury Times:
BURY made a double swoop for Premiership stars Carl Serrant and Paul Hall last night in a dramatic bid to boost their relegation fight. Manager Neil Warnock revealed the coup exclusively to the Bury Times after respective clubs, Newcastle and Coventry, agreed to release the stars on a month's loan. They will join £200,000 signing Darren Bullock in a new-look starting line-up tomorrow (Saturday) for the visit of Norwich City. And with inspirational skipper Chris Lucketti declaring himself fit to play after a thigh injury, the Shakers will be banking on securing their first victory in 11 games. Left-sided defender, Serrant, 23, is a former England B and Under 21 star and played under Warnock at Oldham Athletic before joining Newcastle last year. Latics rated him at more than £1 but were forced to release him at a third of the price before he could leave free under the Bosman ruling. Hall, aged 26, can play up front, wing or wing back and starred for Jamaica in last year's World Cup in France. He was snapped up by Gordon Strachan last season after five years at Portsmouth and four at Torquay. "This has been a huge week for Bury Football Club," said a delighted Warnock. "Everybody at the club needed this kind of lift. It wasn't just about bringing players in, they had to be the right players, lads with quality and the right attitude. "Both Paul and Carl wanted to come straight away. They have something to prove to their clubs and are raring to get out on the pitch. "With three top players making debuts and Chris Lucketti back in the side, vowing to play through the pain to help the team, this is going to be an exciting game for everyone at Gigg Lane." He added: "I know a lot about Carl. He is one of the best defenders I have had under me. He needs first team football and I am grateful to Ruud Gullit for allowing him to join us. "Paul is a quick, elusive winger, similar to Rodney Jack at Crewe, and Coventry paid nearly £400,000 for him last year." Chairman Terry Robinson paid tribute to the efforts of Warnock in negotiating the double deal. "The manager has been trying for a long time to get Premier League players in. Knowing that they would have to be loan signings, we had to find the most opportune time to bring them in, and that is now. This is the time of the season when suspensions start to bite." Warnock has made it blatantly clear to his players that nothing but a victory will do tomorrow, kick-off 3pm. Bruce Rioch's Canaries are sitting mid-table in Division One, 11 points ahead of the fourth-from-bottom Shakers. "It doesn't matter who we are playing this weekend, I am only concerned with us," he said. "We need to win. It is as simple as that." Striker Adrian Littlejohn is poised to make a return after injury.

It won't be pretty: Warnock - Bury Times:
NEIL Warnock has warned that watching Bury will not be pretty from now on. Fancy football will take a back seat in the 15-game run-in with Warnock deciding that spirit will come before skill in deciding who he throws into the heat of the relegation battle. With only 15 games remaining the Gigg Lane manager is convinced that the will to win must be the number one priority. "I have to pick 11 lads with big hearts and worry about football after," he said. "You have to get people who are ready to roll up their sleeves and die for the cause. "Everybody will write us off but there are 15 games to go and we have to win battles." This latest devastating blow to their confidence as well as their survival hopes highlighted plenty more problems the Shakers boss must iron out. In particular, their weaknesses in both goalmouths. A total lack of craft and penetration up front gave the Pompey defence a day off while schoolboy errors at the back handed their relegation rivals two goals and two more gilt-edged chances. Indeed it was only the heroics of Dean Kiely in twice denying veteran goal poacher Guy Whittingham in the space of three second half minutes which rescued Bury from a far more crushing defeat. How Bury could do with someone with the tried and tested predatory instincts of Whittingham or his equally elusive veteran partner Steve Claridge up front. The Shakers managed just one shot of note before Kemajl Avdiu blasted his first goal for the club with a left foot volley deep into injury-time. And that came from a midfielder, Mark Patterson announcing his return from a two-month loan spell at Blackpool with a 25-yard screamer that took a wicked deflection off Alan McLoughlin and brought a stunning fingertip save out of Andy Petterson with the scoreline still blank. Bury started brightly and monopolised possession with plenty of neat passing play right up to Matthew Robinson's 39th minute opener with his first ever professional goal. But once they fell behind, their challenge faded. The situation cried out for men with character to rise to the challenge but few answered the call and once Whittingham finally beat Kiely with a free header on 64 minutes it was game over. Skipper for the day Nick Daws toiled tirelessly to lead by example and Mark Patterson wore his heart on his sleeve as ever. Patterson, who was loaned out to Blackpool for two months after a row with Warnock over his lack of first team opportunities, filled the gap left by Lennie Johnrose's £225,000 move to Burnley and now wants the chance to lead the troops in the battle against relegation. "It's good to be back," he said. "The things that were said between myself and the manager were in the heat of the moment and I admit I could have handled it better. "But that's all in the past and now and all I want to do is play a few games. "Darren Bullock will be a good signing for us because he's a big, hard player and I would love to play in the middle with him because I think we could scare a few people." On the latest setback he added: "We gave our all but we didn't create chances. If you don't create chances you don't score and if you don't score you don't win games. It's as simple as that. "Also we conceded two dreadful goals through individual defensive mistakes. "But you can't keep having a go at the defenders because they are being put under a lot of pressure and they are entitled to ask the forwards for some help." Warnock said: "It was like a practice match early on. "We had so much of the ball it was almost too easy. Then we gave a goal away out of nothing. "It's all right having the ball and passing it around but you have to have the urgency as well and we didn't have that urgency. We don't get crosses early enough into the box. "I thought Nick Daws was absolutely magnificent. How he could come off the pitch and not be on the winning side is beyond me."

Thursday, 18 February 1999

Serrant And Hall Sign On Loan - The Official Bury FC Web Site:
Shakers boss Neil Warnock received a big boost today when he signed Premier League players Carl Serrant and Paul Hall on a month's loan. 6'0" England B defender Carl Serrant joins the club from Newcastle United, who he joined in a £500,000 deal back in July. Twenty-three year old Carl started out as a trainee at Oldham Athletic and played 90 games for the Boundary Park club before leaving in a cut-price deal to stop him going abroad under the Bosman ruling. Striker Paul Hall was previously with Torquay United, for whom he played 93 games, and also spent five years with Portsmouth. Paul played 188 games for Pompey, scoring 37 goals before joining Coventry City earlier this season. Paul is considered mainly to be a right-sided wide player and appeared in all three of Jamaica's Group H World Cup matches last summer. The arrival of two further new faces, following soon after the recent arrival of Darren Bullock, is evidence that Neil Warnock is looking to ring the changes in these final few months of the season.

Wednesday, 17 February 1999

I'm Your Man, Vows Bullock - Bury Times Midweeker:
Darren Bullock signed on the dotted line at Gigg Lane last night then vowed - "I'll help lead Bury to safety!" The 30-year-old midfield powerhouse took part in his first training session with his new teammates yesterday and was quickly focused on his debut at home to Norwich on Saturday. "I'm delighted to be here and I can promise the Bury fans I will do everything I can to keep this team up," said the former Swindon star. "I am a born leader and I want to lead the Bury team. We need 11 skippers on the pitch in a situation like this. If we all pull together, and with Neil Warnock's help, I can see us pushing up the table." It will be like old times for "Bully" - in more ways than one. As well as previously playing for Warnock at Huddersfield, he is about to renew an old partnership with striker Andy Preece. The two played together almost 10 years ago with non-league Worcester City, a time which Bullock remembers fondly. "I was in midfield with Andy up front. We worked well together and I am glad to get the chance to play with him again," he said. Bullock, a £200,000 signing, comes to Gigg Lane as a straight replacement for Lennie Johnrose, following his shock defection to Burnley.

Lucketti Could Stay - Bury Times Midweeker:
Whilst supporters will be gutted to see the popular midfield general up sticks, Warnock believes the two deals could keep Chris Lucketti at the club. The Shakers have received a full cash payment of £225,000 for Johnrose, but will pay for Bullock over two years. That has allowed Warnock to balance the books and, in turn, has relieved the pressure to cash in on the star skipper, who failed to agree personal terms with Huddersfield last Thursday. "We have had the bank on our backs recently, but this takes the heat off. Our short term financial problems are solved. We are certainly in no hurry to sell Chris and I have asked him to stick around and help us through this battle - and he is determined to do that," said Warnock. "If we receive offers over a certain price for Chris then we are obliged to tell him. He can talk to the clubs and then it is up to him. Birmingham made a bid last week but it was under £1m. It would take a bid of more than £1m before we would even consider it now." Warnock was keen to explain to Bury supporters exactly why Johnrose had been allowed to leave. He said: "Burnley say we made Lennie available, but I will let the fans read into it what they will." He revealed: "Lennie came to see me four weeks ago and said he wanted to go to Burnley and that he had been offered a deal which he couldn't turn down and we couldn't match. He didn't say he wanted to go on the transfer list - he named Burnley. "I told him I could not let him go until I found a replacement, but he came back again last week insisting he still wanted to leave. From the moment Lennie first expressed his desire to go I noticed a difference in his performances. I need 11 committed players, not people with their minds elsewhere. "The chairman got a cracking deal with Swindon for Darren, which helped with the Lucketti situation, so we let Johnrose go." Of his new signing, the Bury boss added: "Darren has the kind of bulldog spirit we need at Bury and he had no hesitation about joining us."

Francis Keen On Lucketti - Nationwide Web Site:
Birmingham City manager Trevor Francis has spoken to Bury about signing their £1m-rated centre-back Chris Lucketti. But Francis, who missed out on Sheffield Wednesday's Jon Newsome last week, fears relegation-threatened Bury are keen to hold on to their skipper. Meanwhile new midfielder Graham Hyde got his City career off to a winning start as the reserves beat Preston 2-0.