Signings on agenda but Sinnott remains calm (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Signings on agenda but Sinnott remains calm

1:10pm Friday 5th June 2009 in

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The friendlies are all arranged, the pre-season training schedule has been planned to the last detail and the first close-season signing has been made, so everyone at Avenue is looking ahead to 2009-10 already.

Horsfall boss Lee Sinnott is merely working on the fine-tuning of the playing staff before the big kick off. One crucial element, a goalkeeper, is missing but the manager is on the case.

Sinnott said: “The only new addition so far is defender Martin Drury, who we signed last week, but we are in talks with a keeper. It’s no secret that we need to fill that position after we released Jon Worsnop and Tom Morgan.

“Recruitment is ongoing. There are things that are developing behind the scenes and we hope to have four or five new faces before the season begins.

“There isn’t a rush, as the PFA list of players that have not been retained has only just come out.

“We did so much shopping in January that we have many of the players we want already here, so we are in a strong position.

“There will be a lot of players on the market this summer as many clubs are tightening their belts and working with smaller squads. Moves are on the agenda but we can hold our nerve and calmly wait before striking.”

Avenue’s players – a round dozen retained from last season, six making the step up from the reserves and under-19s, who both won their respective leagues, and any new signings – will report back from their summer recess three weeks on Tuesday.

They will soon be into the swing because a home game against neighbouring Bradford City begins their pre-season friendly fixtures. The Bantams visit Horsfall Stadium on Wednesday, July 15.

“We have a little more than two weeks of solid training before we play a game,” said Sinnott.

“It will be nice to welcome four professional sides and the players will be looking forward to those games every bit as much as our supporters. The City match is a local derby, so I hope that will capture the imagination of the public.

“We travel to Clitheroe for our second game before taking on Huddersfield the following Wednesday. The next Saturday, July 25, has been left free because we play Leeds on the Monday and Oldham on the Wednesday of that week.

“The warm-up games finish with short trips to Liversedge and Brighouse Town and I think seven is just about right for what we need.

“Sometimes you can flood the pre-season with games. We need to work on the training ground and get the fitness levels right; do the basics first.”