10:36am Friday 10th July 2009
By Ian Whiting
Bradford Park Avenue boss Lee Sinnott’s commitment to the club was clearly apparent as he stepped out onto the training ground just hours after his return flight from Turkey landed at LeedsBradford Airport.
The Saturday morning session, following his family holiday, was his first of this pre-season but the third for his new-look squad.
Signings like Andy Liddell, keeper Steve Dickinson and Martin Drury have been confirmed but there are others in the pipeline and a number of players on trial looking for deals.
“The early sessions have gone well," said Sinnott. "On Saturday it was very hard because the weather was so hot and the players started at 11 in the morning and worked through past noon.
“When the players gathered for the first time, John (Deacey, assistant manager) did the big talk about what the expectations are at this club this season. When I came in on Saturday, I just did a short talk to put everyone in the picture.”
Such is the European nature of the non-league game these days that Avenue’s trialists include a Portuguese and an Italian.
Other more local players have approached the club and have been invited to go through their paces.
Sinnott said: “We have a player by the name of Gino Cozzolino training with us and there is a clip of him on YouTube showing some of his skills. I understand he was with Inter Milan’s Academy in his early days.
“The young lad from Portugal is a left-sided midfielder who has a bit of pace about him and he was training with Cardiff City last season.
"He started his football with Sporting Lisbon but, like Gino, finds himself in West Yorkshire at the moment and is looking for a club.
“There is no harm in having a look at these lads. It reminds me of Roy Stamer, and we all know what a player he made. Roy started off with a league club in Germany before coming to Leeds to study.
“He played for Farsley Celtic in the Conference Premier, Guiseley and now us so he has had a very good career. If either of our two current visitors do anywhere near as well we will be very pleased.
“We are also having a look at Jimmy Kelly, Laurence Hunter, Matt Dempsey and another lad who came from Sheffield United with Matt.
"We expect to sign some of the players we have on trial but we are also on the look-out for any that suddenly fall out of the tree - players either released by League clubs or not given a deal because someone else has just become available.
“All the clubs at any level are in the same situation at the moment so it is a case of biding our time and holding our nerve. It is the clubs that are in the stronger position at the moment, not the players.”
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