Clark charged with engineering Birmingham’s Premier League return

Four months on from his surprising dismissal at newly promoted Huddersfield Town, Lee Clark is back in Football after being appointed the new Birmingham City manager.

The Blues missed out on their Premier League return, suffering Championship play-off semi-final heartache to Blackpool and Clark has been installed at St Andrew’s with the task of winning promotion at the earliest available opportunity.

The former Newcastle midfielder replaces Chris Hughton in charge of the Blues after Hughton agreed to join Premier League side Norwich City.

Despite lingering fears about finances, with Birmingham still placed under a transfer embargo, Clark is fully aware of what is expected of him and the size of the task that awaits.

“There are restrictions with the embargo but there's nothing been hidden from me.” Clark told BBC West Midlands.

Birmingham’s failure to reclaim their Premier League status at the first attempt, has resulted in the departure of several key members of the squad. Ben Foster is expected to remain at neighbours West Bromwich Albion for next season and Jordan Mutch completed his move to fellow promotion hopefuls Cardiff City last week.

Even so, Clark believes that the calibre of player that remains at St Andrew’s leaves the Blues with every chance of returning to the top flight.

Clark continued: “After dialogue with Peter Pannu (acting chairman) and the board, I know where I'm going, and I feel very positive. I know the market but I know the ones I've already got are a fantastic group of players.”

The former Terriers boss has Reiterated Pannu’s statement, that it would take “Crazy bids” for Birmingham to lose their two most prized assets, Young Player of the Year Nathan Redmond and England’s third choice Goalkeeper Jack Butland.

Clark masterminded the longest unbeaten run in Football League history, guiding Huddersfield to 43 successive games without defeat, but with the League One play-off winners still fourth in the table, Clark was relieved of his duties at the Galpharm Stadium.

On his return to football management, Clark, who began his coaching career at his hometown club Newcastle, is looking to continue the momentum that the Blues built from last season under former boss Hughton.

He added: “I've got experience combined with a good crop of youngsters. And I'm looking to create the same atmosphere Chris Hughton had about the place. I'm hoping that we can carry on that momentum from last season and just get that little bit of luck you need to get over the line.”

Clark will reacquaint himself with his former employers fairly early into the new season with Huddersfield due to visit St Andrew’s on October 6.

Pre-season: The most crucial time of year?

With less than two months before the start of the regular Football League campaign, many clubs will be reporting back to training within the next couple of weeks.

Several regard the two transfer windows, both in the summer and at the start of the New Year, as the most crucial factors in the shaping the success of a League season.

However, the demands of pre-season can also be a contributing feature in determining whether a side is heading for a successful campaign or a troublesome one.

In AFC Wimbledon’s case, Manager Terry Brown is determined to build on last season’s flirtation with the Npower League Two relegation places in which the Dons eventually finished 10 points clear of trouble.

To enhance his side’s chances of improving on last year’s campaign, Brown called his players in for extra fitness sessions two weeks prior to the usual start of pre-season.

But, fitness is only one part of why pre-season can be considered so important. New Dons signings Curtis Osano and Louis Harris were present during these sessions, allowing Brown to embed his new players in at the earliest opportunity, whilst giving each player an idea of the set up installed at Kingsmeadow.

Wimbledon host Reading, in the first of seven pre-season matches, on the 14th July in the run up to an opening day league meeting with relegated Chesterfield.

By this time Brown will have a clear indication of where his side are in relation to last season, and subsequently, the Dons could be on course for a much improved league campaign.

Although, both transfer windows give Managers the opportunity to strengthen during the season, in order to get off to a quick start, pre-season is arguably just as important in influencing the fortunes of a club during their league campaign.

Powell relishing Championship challenge

After guiding Charlton Athletic to the Npower League One title last season, Manager Chris Powell is determined to keep the momentum going as the Addicks embark on a first campaign back in the Championship since relegation three years ago.

Last season’s record breaking run to the title was Powell’s first full campaign in charge at the Valley and after the club announced that over 10,000 season tickets had already been sold, a 46 percent increase on last term, the former Charlton defender is eager to repay the supporters of the London club.

Speaking to the official Charlton website Powell said: “it’s important for us to continue that feel-good factor; we want to really try and keep that going.”

The Valley boss believes that the encouraging sales figures are major signs of progression, with the former England international devoted to bringing the good times back to SE7.

He continued: “It’s amazing really that we have broken the 10,000-barrier already and I want to continue that. It just shows that this club can keep moving forward we will keep doing what we are doing and try and get us back to where everyone wants us to be.”

The title winning success of last season was Charlton’s first piece of silverware for more than a decade and the Addicks boss is keen to build on last year’s achievements.

Powell added: “I felt that we had to take that first step, that big major step out of League One to the Championship. Now it’s up to us to continue the growth and look at where we are on and off the field and just keep that rebirth going.”

Birmingham City away on Saturday 18th of August presents a different opening to the new campaign, but is seen by many Charlton fans as the first step towards an eventual return to the top flight.

Barnet announce departure of Captain Hughes

It was expected that following the release of seven first team players at the start of the month, Barnet Captain Mark Hughes would sign a new contract extending his three year stay at Underhill.

However, to the surprise of many supporters of the League Two outfit, Hughes alongside midfield colleague Sam Deering, have been told to find new clubs, with new Manager Mark Robson stating that the pair were no longer part of his plans.

Northern Ireland international Hughes joined the Bees from Chester FC in 2009 and went on to make over 120 appearances for the North London club scoring seven goals, his last guaranteeing Barnet’s Football League status at the end of last season.

Deering’s initial loan move was made permanent before the start of last season, he went on to make 47 appearances for Barnet scoring three times.

The pair’s contribution to last season’s successful relegation fight has been recognised by the club.

A statement on the Barnet website read:  “Barnet Football Club would like to thank both players for their time at the club and their immense contribution towards maintaining our League Two status.”

Is Day the man to lead Welling back into the Blue Square Premier?

After narrowly missing out on the Blue Square bet South play-offs two seasons ago, Welling United went agonisingly close to a return to highest tier of non-league Football suffering play-off final heartache to Dartford last campaign.

Player-manager Jamie Day is embarking on his fourth season in charge at Park View Road with the intentions clear; devise a plan that would see the Wings promoted to the fifth tier of English Football for the first time in 13 years.

The former Arsenal trainee wasted little time in adding to his squad following the play-off final defeat, drafting in Sam Mott from Thamesmead Town and Striker Kiernan Hughes-Mason who had just been released by Grimsby Town.

But attention was bound to circulate around a very talented Welling United squad, last season’s Blue Square South champions Woking persuaded Loick Pires and Captain Jack Parkinson to join the Blue Square Premier outfit.

However, Day has so far managed to maintain a large contingent of last season’s squad with top-scorer Luis Cumbers, Jack Obersteller, Anthony Acheampong and experienced midfielder Lee Clark all committing their future to the club.

The new acquisitions will certainly enhance the Kent-based club’s chances of winning promotion and with just under two months until the start of the season, Day will be looking to continue to add to his squad.

Robson appointed Barnet head coach

Npower League Two club Barnet have named Mark Robson as their new head coach, replacing Martin Allen who guided the Bees to safety at the back end of last season.

Robson becomes the fifth man in just over a year to take the hot seat at Underhill, after the former Charlton Athletic midfielder left his role as first-team coach at Championship side Peterborough.
 
The 43-year-old, who also had a spell coaching at Gillingham, has been instated to help develop the club’s youth academy, in addition to the primary task of overseeing first-team duties at the North London club.

Barnet director of Football Paul Fairclough spoke of his admiration for Robson and believes the decision was made with the long-term future of the club in mind.

Speaking to club’s website Fairclough said: “I want the club to become renowned for the way they pass the ball and try to play their way through opposition, as opposed to over them. Obviously results are important but those results can be achieved by playing good, entertaining football.”

He continued: “In Mark Robson we have secured the services of a forward-thinking coach who will lead the club along a new and exciting pathway. I truly see this as a new dawn for Barnet Football Club.”

Keane becomes latest addition as Westley continues Preston rebuild

Luton Town’s Keith Keane became Graham Westley’s 12th signing of the summer as the Preston North End boss continues his pre-season refurbishment of the League One promotion contenders.

Westley’s exploits spark major comparison to Charlton Athletic’s title winning success of last season, when manager Chris Powell made 18 new signings with the Addicks going on to clinch promotion back into the Championship.

North End Chairman Peter Ridsdale believes Keane is a player capable of playing at a higher level, stating the Lancashire-based club’s clear intentions for the new season.

Ridsdale said: “Graham [Westley] has been tracking him for a while and he's a player he has always believed can do a job, not just in League One, but hopefully when we are promoted.”

The versatile midfielder made 237 appearances in nine years for Luton, the last being the Blue Square bet Premier play-off final defeat to York City last month.

Keane will be joined at Deepdale by fellow new arrivals Lee Holmes, Jeffery Monakana and, Westley’s former team-mate at Stevenage, John Mousinho who were all signed at the end of last month.  

Preston’s first season back in the third tier of English Football may have been a disappointing one, but there will certainly be many people tipping the Football Leagues second oldest club for promotion next year.

Northern League to adopt fresh approach in tackling abusive language

One of the world’s oldest leagues is to introduce an innovative plan to stamp down on abusive language.

The Northern League, formed in 1889, is to appoint volunteers as “Secret Shoppers”, a revolutionary idea that targets staff and players who use abusive language during matches.

The worst offending clubs would then be brought to the attention of the League officials who would then “name and shame” in the process.

League chairman Mike Amos believes the fresh approach will improve standards throughout Non-League Football.

He said: “People say to me ‘it's a passionate game’ and it is - but it is also a disciplined game.”

He added: “If you go to a Premier League game with 50,000 people there and the players and management are effing and blinding, you can't hear it, and so in a sense it doesn't matter. But if you are at a game with 100 people in the ground, you can hear.”

The league is home to 46 clubs from Northumberland, Tyneside, Teeside, County Durham and North Yorkshire.

After advertising for volunteers to work as “secret shoppers”, the League received over 100 replies from former officials, players and ordinary spectators.

Amos feels that the English FA could do more in stamping down on abusive language, but he also believes referees should be more stringent towards the use of fowl language and send players and staff off accordingly.

He continued: “We have to get it through to the managers that the crowd is a few feet behind them. If they are swearing like that on a main street on a Friday night they would be arrested, so what makes it acceptable at a ground?”

The system is set to be put in place at the start of next season and will include a swearing “league table” which will be published on each club's website, in programmes and in the league magazine.

Essam rewarded with new Gills deal

Young Gillingham defender Connor Essam has been rewarded with a new and improved three-year contract following an excellent breakthrough season.

The 19-year old made his Gills debut in the 2-1 home defeat to Southend United in February and went on to make 18 appearances in total, as the Kent-based club narrowly missed out on the Npower League Two play-offs.

Essam’s new contract will keep him at the Priestfield Stadium until the end of the 2014/15 campaign.

The central defender came through the youth ranks at the League Two outfit and also enjoyed successful loan spells at Bishops Stortford and Dartford, before former boss Andy Hessenthaler handed Essam his first team debut.

Securing the services of the highly rated central defender will certainly act as a boost for the impending arrival of a new Gillingham manager.