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Archived News from February 2014

NO NEW SIGNINGS
2nd February 2014 22:01


No new signings for Stags
mansfieldtown.net, 27th January 2014

Mansfield Town Football Club can confirm that there will be no new signings before the January transfer window shuts this Thursday.

Following a recent statement, the club can confirm that its legal expenditure is now set to increase as the club looks set to defend the proceedings recently commenced by former directors Steve Hymas and Andrew Saunders.

Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/no-new-signings-for-stags-1319644.aspx#bDmvupodTL6Cpejq.99

As a consequence, funds which were intended to be used to strengthen the playing squad in this transfer window are now no longer available. The proposed trip pre-season trip to Malta this July has now also been cancelled.

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video interview with Paul Cox, Monday 27 January 2014
http://www.player.mansfieldtown.net/latest-news/article/3640805/date/20140127172000/page/0/name/video--manager-s-pre-match-press-conference

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Stags manager Cox rocked by club decision not to bring in new players
chad.co.uk, 27 January 2014

Mansfield Town manager Paul Cox will not be allowed to bring in any new players before the transfer window closes on Thursday, a shock club statement announced today.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/mansfield-town/stags-manager-cox-rocked-by-club-decision-not-to-bring-in-new-players-1-6399837

Cox and his staff have worked tirelessly throughout the window to try to bring in much-needed new firepower up front, but they and supporters have been rocked the club’s bombshell that all money is now to be directed towards fighting an expensive legal battle with former club owners Steve Hymas and Andrew Saunders.

The pair have demanded repayment of almost £1m of directors’ loans in the club which current chairman John Radford claims Stags cannot afford at the moment.

Radford did suggest the cost of defending the action may restrict what the club could spend in the window a couple of weeks ago. But today the club’s official statement said: “Following a recent statement, the club can confirm that its legal expenditure is now set to increase as the club looks set to defend the proceedings recently commenced by former directors Steve Hymas and Andrew Saunders.

“As a consequence, funds which were intended to be used to strengthen the playing squad in this transfer window are now no longer available. The proposed trip pre-season trip to Malta this July has now also been cancelled.”

Manager Cox tried to put on a brave face and said he was glad he and the fans now knew exactly what the situation was.

“I think it’s clear now with what has transpired and we have got it out to the public,” he said.

“I am a little frustrated, but at least now I have got a clear mind, the club has a clear mind and the supporters have a clear mind. We just need to get on with it. It’s as simple as that. No one is coming in, not even on frees.

“There may still be a few going out. It is a business and we are going to have to cut our cloth accordingly.

“I enjoy working when I know what I have got to work with. I can now get my head round it and refocus. It is black and white, there are no grey areas.

“”I won’t retract what I said and it would have been nice to bring in a couple of fresh faces into the squad.

“Everyone looking our our stats table can see it’s goalscoring we are struggling with.

“I have worked extremely hard and a couple of players we have been in talks with went out on loan and scored goals at the weekend.

“But in the end it is all about the football club. I am working for the football club and as far as I am concerned I will just get on with it.

“As long as we all know where we are going we can start to plan and accept things.”

Asked if the transfer ban included the forthcoming loan window too ["until the end of the season"-comment added by Martin], he added: “That’s what came across.

“But the lads are in a positive frame of mind right now. I believe we are good enough to stay up.

“Football is all about opinions. But we have only lost one in the last six and that is to the side who are top and I believe will get promoted.

“We have been to some tough places recently and done well. It looks like we have come out of that dip we began in October/November and the lads have started to believe in themselves again and we have became a more cohesive unit.

“Also, some of the youth team have been doing extremely well and some have been training with the first team. It may be that their introduction will be speeded up by this situation.”

Another worry for Cox is that his top scorer, Sam Clucas, is said to be a target for a Championship club, but he said: “I have not had a phone call about Sam so he remains a Mansfield player.”

Stags, without a home win in 11 outings, are due to face fellow strugglers Bury at One Call Stadium tomorrow if the weather doesn’t intervene.

The pitch is already wet and cut up from Saturday and more rain is forecast.

“You can tell the pitch is heavy with water. It is dry this afternoon but it will all depend on the weather tomorrow,” said Cox.

“All credit on Saturday to the referee and officials for managing the game in such horrendous conditions. Some might have called it off.”

On the opposition, he added: “Bury have just signed a lot of players. There has been a lot of investment into the football club.

“On Saturday they dropped to third bottom and so are looking to spend a lot of money to make sure they are a League Two club next year.

“They also have a new managers with new ideas and it will be another tough game for us.”

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League Two - No transfer business for Mansfield
PA Sport, by Sean Taylor

Mansfield will not be making any new signings this month as they need the money to fight legal action from the club's former directors, the club have confirmed.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/football-transfer-business-stags-154527063--sow.html

Steve Hymas and Andrew Saunders have started legal proceedings against the Stags demanding the repayment of loans worth almost £1million.
Hymas and Saunders, who left the club on bad terms in the summer of 2012 and subsequently formed AFC Mansfield, made a similar demand last March.
Mansfield received a solicitors' letter on Christmas Eve and will contest the claim, with chairman John Radford insisting the agreement was that the monies would only be repayable when the club was in a position to do so.
Stags boss Paul Cox had hoped to strengthen his squad ahead of Friday night's transfer deadline, with a striker high on his list of priorities. However, it appears he will now be unable to do so.
A statement on the Sky Bet League Two club's official website said: " Mansfield Town Football Club can confirm that there will be no new signings before the January transfer window shuts.
"Following a recent statement, the club can confirm that its legal expenditure is now set to increase as the club looks set to defend the proceedings recently commenced by former directors Steve Hymas and Andrew Saunders.
"As a consequence, funds which were intended to be used to strengthen the playing squad in this transfer window are now no longer available. The proposed pre-season trip to Malta this July has now also been cancelled."
Lifelong Mansfield fan Radford bought the club for £1 in September 2010 from Saunders, Hymas and Steve Middleton, who initially remained as non-executive directors before their departure in the summer of 2012.
He will hope he can service the club's legal costs without having to sell star player Sam Clucas, who has scored 11 goals this season and was last week the subject of a bid from a Championship club.

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Crawley striker could still leave despite Mansfield move collapsing
http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/10967077._/?
Tuesday 28th January 2014, By Steve Hollis

Emile Sinclair could still be on his way out at Crawley despite the collapse of a proposed move to Mansfield Town yesterday.

Sinclair was not even on the bench for Crawley’s 2-2 draw at Rotherham after spending the weekend in Mansfield. Stags boss Andy Cox was keen to bring in the striker who has struggled to make an impact since joining Reds from Peterborough for £100,000 in August but had to pull the plug on any deal due to financial problems.

Mansfield are in the process of defending themselves against legal action by ex-shareholders Andy Saunders and Steve Hymas who are owed almost £1 million in loans. The League Two club released a statement yesterday saying they would not be signing any more players during the transfer window as a result.

Gregory said: “It’s a shame because Emile’s family are from up north and it suited him. Emile’s back with us now but the window is not closed yet so something could still end up being done.”

Gregory is still hopeful of adding to his squad by Friday night’s deadline even if Sinclair does not depart.

He added: “We are still working on various things. There are one or two people who we’ve identified but these things take time.”

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