MICK RAMSDEN agrees York City Knights' upcoming reserves need to get on the pitch and into match action on a regular basis - but isn't sure loaning them to local amateur clubs is the answer.

Ramsden, the former first-team stalwart and current reserve-grade head coach, has been responding to comments made in this column last week by his former Knights team-mate and current York Acorn ARLC boss Scott Rhodes.

Rhodes reckoned there is a strong argument for a dual-registration or loan link to be formalised between the Knights and clubs like Acorn and amateur neighbours Heworth.

He reckons it would see fringe Knights players like former Acorn junior Tim Stubbs or Heworth counterpart Tyler Craig get "much-needed game-time" and also help out the amateur clubs at difficult times, when either they are short of bodies or form.

Ramsden, however, can see matters from the other side - and the problems inherent in agreeing to such a dual-reg system.

"It's a tricky one," admitted Ramsden. "I read the article in The Press and I agree it's important players need to be playing.

"It's been difficult for us this year as we've not been in an under-20s or a reserves league but I've done my best to arrange friendlies and we've played seven or eight so far, which is not a bad return at this point in the year.

"But for these lads, getting their development right is most important. We like to develop the players in between games, in training and with strength and conditioning. To do that development work and play a game every two weeks is okay for them. It's about getting the balance right and we've tried to do that.

"I'm not sure that sending our players off to play for local amateur teams is the right thing for their development, for several reasons.

"Firstly, our reserve-grade play to the same structures as the first team. We coach players that way in training and in games. To be best prepared to step up to the first-team level, they need to be playing the same way to the same structures. All the players understand that and have bought into it.

"With amateur teams, the structures won't be the same and these teams will have players perhaps not as technically adept as our players.

"Secondly, we'd expect them to train with us at each session - they'd have to really - rather than with someone else. We're part-time pro so don't get enough sessions with them as it is.

"I'd like to keep our players under our wing. You'd need our coaching staff to see them in training and in matches to see how they're pushing for a first-team spot.

"The environment is important too. We're trying to instil a very professional approach in a professional environment if these lads are to become good professionals. We want them to be in that kind of environment.

"A lot of amateur clubs have good set-ups but sometimes there is a different ethos or attitude when it comes to how you train and what you do outside of playing and training.

"There is also the question of allegience. If our player came from an amateur club in Hull, for example, would he want to train with us all week and then play for another team in York?

"Then there is the question of whether it's fair on the lads in the amateur team to have their shirt taken by one of our lads.

"It's one of the problems with dual-reg at any level, and we've seen it at the Knights through our partnerships (with Hull and now Castleford).

"If Acorn needed a couple of players one week for whatever reason, it might benefit them to borrow our lads, but then would it benefit our lads to get thrown in there for a week or two or would it be better for them to stay in our environment? Dual-reg can be difficult to manage for all sorts of reasons, and it could be even harder between amateur and professional level."

He added: "I can see where Scott is coming from.

"I think getting our reserves back into a proper (reserve-grade) league would be a step forward, as our hands are tied a bit at the moment as regards getting regular a fixture list. The problem always comes down to money. We've got the set-up, the coaches, the facilities. But running a 20s or reserves team costs a fair bit and we're not cash rich. If we could get sponsors to come come in it would be a bit better.

"We just have to work the best we can in the circumstances we're in."


OLDHAM considered changing the date and kick off time of tomorrow's match against the Knights so it didn't clash with Magic Weekend down the A62 in Manchester. But they decided to keep as was - and in doing so chairman Chris Hamilton gave his dues to York's away following.

"We’ve previously moved days and times to give our fans the chance to watch our game and also go to Magic Weekend, but it didn't make any significant difference to our attendance,” he explained to the Oldham Chronicle.

"As the York game can potentially provide us with one of our biggest gates of the season, with decent away support, we decided to stick with the Sunday 3pm schedule.”


Oldham aim to have York on the Ropers

OLDHAM boss Scott Naylor is leaving it late to decide his line-up for tomorrow’s Championship One visit of title rivals York - including whether to select on-loan half-back Steve Roper.

Naylor usually names his 17 on a Saturday but, while he often has a 17 in mind before then, he goes into this weekend saying he still has big calls to make - and warning he might throw in a few surprises given he has virtually a full-strength squad to pick from.

One decision is whether to break up the Lewis Palfrey and Brett Robinson half-back partnership that performed so well in the 48-28 win over Oxford last time out, in order to give Roper a debut following his switch from Rochdale a fortnight ago. Roper was a key man as the Hornets won promotion from Championship One last year.

“Out of 25 in the squad, 23 are available so I’ve got some tough decisions to make,” said Naylor. “It will be difficult to leave people out but sometimes you’ve got to make the right decisions.

“Lewis and Brett probably had their best game together against Oxford, but it’s not unusual for me to make changes and surprise people. Steve has trained with us now for a couple of weeks. That’s not to say he’ll be playing. We’ll see.

“Oxford was probably our best performance this season. We’ve had good spells but not for long enough. Against Hunslet we played well for 40 minutes but were then poor for 40. Against Oxford we were good for 60. You want to get consistency. Hopefully we will kick on.”

Oldham have had only one match in the past month since defeat to Hunslet on April 18, meaning players have got over niggling injuries but are perhaps lacking match sharpness.

Naylor added: “You’re not able to really get going because of that fixture structure but it is one of the reasons I’ve got everybody fit - we’re not playing a lot of rugby. We’ve got a run of games every week now for seven or eight weeks so hopefully we can get going.”

The two players out injured are Paddy Mooney and long-term absentee Liam Thompson.

Oldham: from Nield, Agoro, Okanga-Ajwang, Cookson, Bloomfield, Palfrey, Robinson, Roper, Joy, Whitmore, Ward, Crowley, Langtree, Gee, Hughes, Davidson, Tyson, Mason, Whitehead, Wood, Boults, Hobson, Files.

* Gloucestershire All Golds have signed Hunslet hooker Casey Canterbury on loan. The 19-year-old had joined Hunslet from Castleford Tigers.