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Archived News from January 2005

JELLEYMAN SIGNS, PLUS CHAD LATEST
25th January 2005 22:05


Palmer gets his man
Teamtalk

Peterborough defender Gareth Jelleyman has completed a permanent move to Mansfield on a free transfer.

Jelleyman played in Mansfield's 1-1 draw with Southend at the weekend after moving on a short-term loan, but has now made the move permanent, signing an 18-month contract at Field Mill.

The former Welsh Under-21 international has been tracked by the Stags for some time, but a string of injuries meant the deal was put on hold.

Peterborough boss Barry Fry has allowed the 24-year-old to leave for nothing as his contract was due to expire in the summer.

Mansfield boss Carlton Palmer told the club's official website: "I'm always on the lookout for new players to improve the team and as we proved with the Gareth Jelleyman deal you sometimes have to be a bit patient.

"We weren't sure if we could get him, and when we did he was injured so we had to be patient and get the player here at the right time."
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Palmer says 'Give me the job'
CHAD
CARLTON Palmer will this week tell Stags chairman Keith Haslam: "Give me the job."
Palmer has patiently guided Mansfield Town out of troubled waters since he took over as caretaker-manager on 17th November and Saturday's 1-1 home draw with Southend United meant they had lost just once in eight games.
Palmer has been happy to do the job for friend Keith Haslam for nothing while the suspension and subsequent sacking of Keith Curle has rumbled on, but has had big money offers on the table to return to work as a BBC pundit.
However, after Saturday's game he said: "The time is right now for the chairman to make up his mind.
"I have told him I want the job and I expect to sit down with him sometime this week and see where he wants to go and what he wants to do.
"I have worked very hard and I think I deserve the opportunity.
"Me and Paul Hollandhave done well as have the players who have taken on board everything we've told them."
Chairman Keith Haslam said he also hoped to sit down and talk about it this week but needed the Curle saga to be over first.
Curle was suspended by the club over
internal allegations of 'bullying' and was eventually sacked.
Curle has appealed against the sacking and is awaiting the result of that appeal.
"We have to get the Keith Curle situation out of the way," said Haslam.
"Once that is resolved then we can look at the managerial position.
"I am hoping that will probably be sometime this week.
"Keith had the right to appeal which he did and that has been heard.
"We are now awaiting a decision on that and the independent party who heard the appeal will be reporting back to me."
Palmer added: "The chairman has asked me to be patient while the Keith Curle situation is resolved and I am happy to that. Hopefully it should all be sorted this week."
In the meantime, the League Managers Association have announced they have begun high court proceedings against the chairman over the Curle case.
An LMA statement read: "Mansfield Town have been given every opportunity to reach a negotiated settlement with Keith Curle following his dismissal for disciplinary reasons on 17th December.
"The League Managers Association have been left with no option other than to commence High Court proceedings."
Mr Haslam declined to comment on the statement.
This weekend Stags face the first of two testing away local derbies in successive weekends with a trip to Lincoln City (3pm).
Yesterday Stags were due to play a rare reserve game - a friendly at Rushden and Diamonds.
"I wanted to have a look at at a few new trialists and give some lads like Jason White the game of football they desperately need," said Palmer.
"I do believe in reserve team football and we will revisit the situation here at the end of the season. Having said that, when I came in there wasn't enough players for a first team, let alone a reserve team!"
Tom Curtis has had his stitches out and was expected to play 45 minutes while Fraser McLachlan, although not risked for the Rushden game, should still be fit enough to be back in the squad for Saturday's game at Lincoln.
Shane Smeltz and Adam Rundle, both on a one-month trial conract, were also due to get some part of the game.
After two games at the club, all Stags fans have seen of them so far was a brief second half outing for Smeltz as a substitute at Rochdale.
But Palmer said: "The reason they can't get in is because the side is not getting beaten and they have to wait for their chance.
"I will certainly be trying to keep Adam Rundle here as a promising young lad while Shane may depend on who else is interested in him. But I am trying to build a good squad for next season."
Striker Derek Asamoah is to have an x-ray on a sore shoulder. But Palmer said it was a precautionary measure and he expected Asamoah to be fit for Saturday.
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Stags on revenge mission
CHAD
MANSFIELD Town will be looking for revenge at Lincoln this Saturday after the Imps enjoyed a double over the Stags last season.
Lincoln are always a big, strong, physical side but caretaker-manager Carlton Palmer said: "We went to Rochdale, who were a big, strong side, and the same at Southend and did well both times.
"I will be telling my side to accept the conditions and what the opposition throw at you and make the right reactions to deal with it. We will spend this week working on what what we can do to Lincoln."
Lincoln gave Stags a 4-1 spanking at Sincil Bank last season and won 2-1 at Field Mill.
They currently sit in seventh spot - the final play-off place - five points ahead of Mansfield.
But, despite a poor home record of late in which they have drawn three of the last four and only scored twice in those four games, City will be lifted by last Saturday's sparkling 4-2 away victory in their first local derby at Grimsby for almost 15 years.
Hero was Simon Yeo, becoming the first Lincoln player to score an away hat-trick since 1988. He was only in the side as Francis Green was serving a one-game ban and Green is back in contention on Saturday.
But Ben Futcher (broken cheekbone) is definitely out while Nathan Peat (knee) and Martin Carruthers (hamstring) are also on the treatment table.
Lincoln, managed by former Stags striker and assistant manager Keith Alexander, have only lost once in the last six games.
The game is all-ticket for away fans amd the tickets are already on sale at Field Mill.
The club has already sold most of their 1,500 allocation for Sincil Bank's Co-op Stand and may need to ask Lincoln for more. These are priced £16 adults, £11 concessions and £5 children and remain on sale until 4pm on Friday.
Also on sale tickets for the following week's local derby at Notts County.
It is NOT all-ticket but fans can avoid the inevitable long queues by buying tickets in advance from Field Mill.
The Kop Stand away end capacity is over 5,000 and Stags have been sent an allocation of 3,000 which are on sale from the Field Mill ticket office now.
Fans can still pay on the day at Meadow Lane.
The tickets are priced £16 adults, Over-60s £10 (proof of age required), Students £9 proof required, 16/17-year-olds £9 (proof of age required) and Under-16s £4.

 

Latest | January 2005