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City eye early redemption at Crawley
11:20am Thursday 3rd July 2008
YORK City boss Colin Walker will be plotting a revenge mission during the first week of the new Blue Square Premier season.
The Minstermen chief admitted his team would have scores to settle when they travel to Crawley Town for the first game of the new campaign on August 9 and then play host to Histon seven days later with a televised Thursday night home match to newly-relegated Wrexham sandwiched in between.
City’s last visit to Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium ended with a sorry 6-1 defeat in April, representing the heaviest loss of the season, but the Red Devils will have a different look, after bringing in eight new players including former Halifax trio Lewis Killeen, Danny Forrest and Jake Wright and veteran striker Steve Fletcher, who was released by Chesterfield.
Part-timers Histon, meanwhile, ended the unbeaten 11-game start to Walker’s Blue Square Premier managerial career with a 3-1 home victory in February having thumped City 4-1 at KitKat Crescent under previous boss Billy McEwan.
About his side’s start to 2008/09, Walker, pictured, said: “Crawley is obviously a game in which we can very quickly get revenge. It was my darkest day as manager of York City and something that we will hopefully rectify because all that matters in pre-season is building up to getting the right result on August 9.
“We owe Histon one as well but we also need to remember the season lasts 46 games and we’ve got to hope we are there or thereabouts at the end. I don’t think we’ll be far away with the squad we have assembled.”
In addition to the first home game of the season against Brian Little’s Wrexham, City will also play in front of the Setanta cameras on August 28 when they make the long trek to Torquay for another Thursday night fixture.
Other sizeable midweek trips will be to Wrexham (October 7), Cambridge (November 18), Histon (December 9) and Rushden (February 24).
Burton Albion will be the destination for the Minstermen on Boxing Day while the Brewers are due to make the return journey on New Year’s Day. In between, Altrincham will make the trip across the Pennines on Sunday, December 28.
City go to Barrow on Easter Monday before closing their campaign at Lewes 12 days later. The club will also make first league trips to Kettering and Eastbourne on September 13 and January 24 respectively.
The Minstermen, who finished 14th last season, are backed to finish in mid-table next term by most bookmakers and are a 33-1 shot for the title with some. About City’s market value, Walker added: “I think Paul Parker has put us down as dark horses on Setanta and I don’t think that’s a bad call.”
City will not be requesting any alterations to their fixture list, although it will still be subject to change depending on opposing teams’ wishes and Setanta.
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Colin Walker
In this section
- Match preview: York City v Woking
- Minstermen take flight in all-out wing attack
- City chief thrilled by moral victory
- York City sign new player
- Billy’s back and aiming for win
- Death of former City and Town secretary
- City new boy’s big impression
- Point taken
- Super Sodje rescues City
- Walker looks to Salisbury before having his judgment say
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9:27am Fri 4 Jul 08
STAGS TAKEOVER: Holland sacked - McEwan to be named as new Mansfield Town manager
Billy McEwan - set to replace Paul Holland today
Billy McEwan - set to replace Paul Holland today
Billy McEwan - set to replace Paul Holland today
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Email Tim Morriss
MANSFIELD Town's new owners have appointed Billy McEwan as manager and axed Paul Holland, Chad understands.
In one of their first decisions since taking over the Stags on Thursday night, the consortium of three Mansfield businessmen ended Holland's short reign as manager.
He was told the news on Friday morning after being in limbo since the end of the season, uncertain of his future as the takeover saga dragged on.
Holland had been appointed when Billy Dearden left Field Mill in March, stepping up from his role as first assistant, and then caretaker, manager.
At that time he had to fight off a challenge for the role from McEwan, a former Stags player who appeared certain to get the job after being interviewed by then chief executive Stephen Booth.
* Mansfield Town FC sold to consortium
* Takeover reaction from Haslam/Booth/Egginto
n/Meale
* Stags fans welcome takeover
* Timetable to Mansfield Town FC takeover
But Booth appeared to have a change of heart and gave Holland his first manager's job in an ultimately vain bid to stave off relegation.
McEwan featured in the Stags side which won a title in the 1970s - and has since had managerial success and experience at Rotherham United and Derby County.
He is available to start straight away, having been sacked as manager of now fellow Blue Square Premier side York City in November of last year.
The experienced 57-year-old joined York as manager in 2005, following spells in charge of Sheffield United, Rotherham (where he won the Division IV title), Darlington and Derby County, and took them to the verge of promotion two seasons ago.
The no-nonsense Scot was also a respected coach at Derby for many years, working under five different managers and twice being appointed caretaker manager.
His straight talking-style at York included a public apology to fans in February 2007 after a 2-0 home defeat to then bottom of the table Tamworth, saying: "I felt sorry for them because they have paid good money and watched crap.
"The display was the worst performance from any of the sides I have had since I have been here. I can't believe what I witnessed."
McEwan - a long-standing friend of Sir Alex Ferguson - also had a very public fall-out with an agent over his handling of two of York's players, labelling the agent 'an amateur'.
As a player at Field Mill, McEwan played 32 League games, scoring three goals. He also played for Hibs, Blackpool, Brighton, Chesterfield, Peterborough and Rotherham.
He was part of the famous Mansfield side which won the old Division III title in 1977, propelling the Stags into the top tier of English football for their only season from his midfield role.
Of that time, he told Chad earlier this year: "I had some good times at the Stags, one of the more successful times in the history of the club.
"I have fond memories of playing there, but it was a long time ago.
"I always watch for their results, I keep tabs on all my old teams, whether as a player or manager.
"I like to see how they got on and I still keep in touch with some of the old players from that time and talk about the good times we had."