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Archived News from July 2017

TRAINING MATCH IN MALTA + MARQUIS RUMOURS
16th July 2017 21:20


facebook, Mansfield Town Football Club
8 July 2017

MALTA: In a team practice match this morning, exciting striker Lee Angol scores again with a fantastic finish.
In the same game, Omari Sterling-James has a superb performance and nets two wonderful finishes.
Both teams were...
TEAM BIBS: Olejnik, Bennett, Diamond, Pearce, Benning, Potter, Mellis, Byrom, MacDonald, Rose, Spencer.
TEAM UN-BIBBED: Logan, White, Mirfin, Taft, Hunt, Anderson, Digby, Atkinson, Hamilton, Angol, Sterling-James.

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twitter, Mansfield Town Football Club @mansfieldtownfc
8 July 2017

NEWS: Gaffer confirms that an approach to buy one of League Two's top goalscorers from last season has been rebuffed.#NoNames

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After the 11 v 11 training match, Steve Evans told Mark Stevenson on iFollow:
"We made a very strong enquiry for a lad who got a lot of goals in League Two last season.
But their manager has come back to me, which I'd expect, saying he's not for sale.
And of course we've left it that if that changes then given their sitiation then they know where I am.
So we're working really hard, Carolyn Radford, was on the phone with myself for the best part of a couple of hours yesterday, but we've nothing to report."
Listen here: https://twitter.com/mansfieldtownfc/status/884092922316161026

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twitter Carolyn Radford @CarolynRadford
8 July 2017

Two hour recruitment meeting with the chairman and gaffer last evening.
We'll continue to try and deliver the gaffer's final target(s).

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twitter John Radford @JRadfordMTFC
8 July 2017

Taking the last week into consideration and this morning, there is no doubt that the gaffer has assembled some real talented footballers.

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Stags’ striker bid turned down
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS

Mansfield Town have been rebuffed in their latest attempt to lure a top striker to the club ahead of the big kick-off.

Boss Steve Evans explained: “We’ve made a very strong enquiry for a lad that got a lot of goals in League Two last season, but their manager has come back to me and, as you’d expect, has said he is not for sale.

“We have left it that, if that changes given their situation, then they know where I am.”

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/stags-striker-bid-turned-down-1-8640885

He continued: “We are working really hard. Carolyn Radford was on the phone with myself for the best part of a couple of hours yesterday, but nothing to report.

“We’ve said we’re not going to lead our supporters to false hope and we have to be very mindful that we’re seeing the quality we’ve got.

“We’re trying to add something to the group and not just more of the same. More of the same doesn’t encourage me to spend the Radford family’s money.”

Stags fly home from a week in Malta today to prepare for Saturday’s first home friendly against Sheffield Wednesday.

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Mansfield boss Evans confirms bid turned down for striker
July 10, 2017 by Matthew Bishop
http://www.theleaguepaper.com/featured/8448/mansfield-boss-evans-confirms-bid-turned-down-for-striker/

Mansfield manager Steve Evans says the club have been rebuffed in their attempts to sign a prolific striker ahead of the upcoming season.

The Stags have been installed as one of the favourites to win League Two after an impressive summer of transfer dealings has already seen the likes of Conrad Logan, Lee Angol and Paul Anderson arrive at the OneCall stadium.

In total, Evans has welcomed 13 new players into his squad, but after links with Luton’s Danny Hylton and Doncaster’s John Marquis earlier in the transfer window, the former Crawley boss is still on the look-out for a star striker.

Speaking to the Chad, the Scot said: “We’ve made a very strong enquiry for a lad that got a lot of goals in League Two last season, but their manager has come back to me and, as you’d expect, has said he is not for sale.

“We have left it that, if that changes given their situation, then they know where I am.

Evans continued: “We are working really hard. Carolyn Radford was on the phone with myself for the best part of a couple of hours yesterday, but nothing to report.

“We’ve said we’re not going to lead our supporters to false hope and we have to be very mindful that we’re seeing the quality we’ve got.

“We’re trying to add something to the group and not just more of the same. More of the same doesn’t encourage me to spend the Radford family’s money.”

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Football League One & Two Banter facebook page
July 10, 2017
Mansfield Town Football Club manager Steve Evans has confirmed he's had a bid rejected by Doncaster Rovers Football Club for striker John Marquis.

(actually Evans of course did not confirm that)

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Boss Evans ‘excited’ by Stags’ quality in Malta
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS

Mansfield Town fly home from their pre-season training camp in Malta today with boss Steve Evans admitting he is excited by what he has seen from his new-look squad.

Stags are already the bookies’ favourites and after a 5-0 demolition of a Malta Players Association XI on Thursday and an energetic inter-squad game in blistering heat on Saturday, even a manager with Evans’ experience has been thrilled by the quality shown.

After the inter-squad game he said: “The players were saying after 45 minutes that was the hardest they’ve worked in a long, long time - and that was total football today.

“The quality within that total football excites me and I’m a manager on the back end of nine promotions, all led by very good players of course.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/boss-evans-excited-by-stags-quality-in-malta-1-8640831

“It was a real step up in terms of how quickly people have to move the ball and how hard they have to work.

“We know the opposition the other night was a little bit away from where we are and we wanted as strong a competition as we could.”

Evans added: “We could have opened it up and played a similar opposition to what we had on Thursday evening, but I told the chairman quite clearly that I wanted us to play amongst the group.

“There is great team spirit within the group but also a real rivalry for positions. They know how tough it’s going to be to be in the team.

“For 45 minutes in 35 degrees the pace of the game was kept really high and some of the performances, it has to be said, on both sides were outstanding.

“It helps when you play it the ‘British way’ - at a high tempo. Jurgen Klopp comes to this country and talks about high tempo - the best teams in this country have been doing it for decades. Look at Alex Ferguson.

“So we played with a real high tempo and zest to our play. We didn’t allow the sun to make it a crawling game.”

On Thursday two separate Stags’ teams played 45 minutes each in the 5-0 victory win at the Ta ‘Qali National Stadium Training Facility with Lee Angol bagging a brace and seeing a penalty saved, striker Danny Rose, Paul Digby and Will Atkinson also on target.

“It was very much a workmanlike performance, with lots of energy,” said Evans.

“We scored a few goals, didn’t concede and could have scored lots more.

“But I was really pleased with the industry and how they’re adapting to the style that we’re trying to introduce.

“We’re trying to get players used to playing with each other and trying to quickly come up to speed with how we want them to play. It was a good start and simply just something to build on.

“I was really pleased with the industry and how they’re adapting to the style that we’re trying to introduce.

“These lads have got an incredible attitude to work hard, they’ve come here and trained three times a day. There’s never been one criticism, not one raised eyebrow.

“The players deserve enormous credit for adapting to what they’ve done, but the chairman and the chief executive, the Radford family, deserve enormous credit.

“I think we’ve got players who have all been successful - a lot of them have been successful in their careers at higher levels - and certainly in terms of arrangements, professionalism and how they’ve been treated, it’s the best they’ve had in their careers. That’s testament to the Radford family.”

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Praise for Stags fans on Malta trip
chad.co.uk, by JOHN LOMAS

Stags boss Steve Evans paid tribute to the hundreds of Mansfield Town supporters who travelled over to back their team in Malta last week.

They turned out in their numbers to see Stags demolish a Malta Players Association XI 5-0 in the one friendly played on Thursday and Evans beamed: “When I see supporters arrive on open top buses and singing over the walls of the stadium or the training ground we’re playing at, it’s incredible.

“I must admit, I don’t know how many are here - 500-600 Stags fans.

Read more at: http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town/praise-for-stags-fans-on-malta-trip-1-8640838

“It’s a fantastic turnout to come so far and that’s why I said to the players I wanted them to go round the far side where the supporters were watching the game and just acknowledge them and appreciate them before we went and got changed.

“It’s fantastic to see the players walking off amongst the supporters.

“It’s a little bit of payback to them because they’ve spent hard-earned money to be here, we’re here professionally, but they’ve spent hard-earned money to support the club they love.”

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LATER STORY:

Doncaster Rovers: Ferguson still confident of John Marquis deal
BY LIAM HODEN, Wednesday 12 July 2017

Darren Ferguson remains fully convinced that John Marquis will agree terms on a new contract with Doncaster Rovers before the start of the season. Last week it was revealed the 25-year-old striker had rejected Rovers’ offer of a what Ferguson termed a ‘fair’ deal, sparking wild speculation about his future. But Ferguson is confident Marquis will indeed put pen to paper ahead of the coming League One campaign. “John will be fine,” said Ferguson following last night’s 9-0 win in the opening friendly at Armthorpe Welfare. “He wants to stay. We want him to stay. It will be done. “In fact, I would be confident to say it will be done before the season starts.” Marquis found the net in the comfortable outing for Rovers last night at Armthorpe and was made captain of the side that played the second half. “He must have just decided he was captain himself,” Ferguson joked. “Seriously, I would have no problems making John my captain. “He’s a leader. You see his attitude tonight, it’s the same as it’s been ever since he came to the club.”

Read more at: http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers/doncaster-rovers-ferguson-still-confident-of-john-marquis-deal-1-8644314

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EARLIER STORIES:

Doncaster Rovers: John Marquis rejects new contract offer
by LIAM HODEN, Thursday 06 July 2017

John Marquis has rejected the offer of a new contract at Doncaster Rovers, boss Darren Ferguson has revealed. With the striker having entered the final year of his contract at the Keepmoat, Rovers offered what Ferguson termed ‘fair’ fresh terms following his superb first season with the club. Marquis however was not satisfied with the offer and rejected the deal. Despite rumoured interest from the likes of Ipswich Town and Wigan Athletic, Ferguson insists no clubs have been in touch with Rovers about Marquis. And he also says he will not imbalance his squad for any one player. “We’ve offered him a contract which he’s declined to sign at the moment,” Ferguson told the Free Press. “I think it’s a very fair contract, giving respect to what he did last season when he had an outstanding season. “At the moment he’s rejected the offer and that is where it is at really. “We’ve not had one enquiry about him.” The Rovers boss says his priority is to complete his summer transfer business before any further negotiations with Marquis. Ferguson is still looking to add a midfielder and potentially a centre half before the window closes at the end of August. While attempting to balance the books, he believes the offer made to Marquis was more than fair. “I’m very comfortable with it,” Ferguson said. “I feel the offer we have made is a fair one. “There is a difference of opinion on it which you sometimes get. “It’s up to John to make that decision. He’s an adult, I can only advise him. “My advice would be to sign the contract. “There’s no problem with it at all, that’s just the situation we find ourselves in. “I can’t sacrifice the squad I want for one player, regardless of who it is. I never will. “My decision will always be based on whatever is best for the team. “Obviously I do want to sort John out which is why we’ve offered him an improved contract. “At the moment I can’t do any more with that because I’ve got to still finish the squad off.” Marquis is one of Rovers’ most prized assets having netted 26 goals in the run to promotion, which earned him the League Two Player of the Year award. He insisted late last term that he wanted to extend his contract with the club. “I’ve got a year left on my contract and it would be nice to sit down and sort a new one out,” Marquis said in April. “There’s no reason why I would want to go anywhere else, my football has come on so much.” The 25-year-old will head to Scotland today with the rest of the Rovers squad for the pre-season training camp in St Andrews which will run until Monday.

Read more at: http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/sport/football/doncaster-rovers/doncaster-rovers-john-marquis-rejects-new-contract-offer-1-8631760

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Ipswich Town transfer rumours: Doncaster Rovers striker John Marquis turns down new contract
by Chris Brammer @chrisbramms, 06 July 2017

Rumoured Ipswich Town target John Marquis has turned down a new, improved contract at League One side, Doncaster Rovers.

http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich-town-transfer-rumours-doncaster-rovers-striker-john-marquis-turns-down-new-contract-1-5094086

The former Millwall striker (25) scored 26 goals for the South Yorkshire club last season, as Darren Ferguson’s side won promotion back to the third tier of English football.

Ferguson insists neither Ipswich, or Wigan - also thought to be keen - have been in touch over Marquis, who is in the final year of his contract at the Keepmoat Stadium.

Marquis said late last season that he wanted to extend his contract with the club. “I’ve got a year left on my contract and it would be nice to sit down and sort a new one out,” Marquis said in April. “There’s no reason why I would want to go anywhere else, my football has come on so much.”

The Lewisham-born striker startd out at Millwall, netting six goals in 65 games for the Lions, and has also had various loan spells at clubs such as Portsmouth, Torquay, Gillingham and Leyton Orient.

Ipswich boss Mick McCarthy has already signed Rangers striker Joe Garner, but is thought to be in the hunt for another one, with Kieffer Moore being linked with a loan move away from the club.

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Latest | July 2017