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THE SENTINEL Thursday January 12, 2012
SEN-eO2-S2 [M]
You can count on winner Ted Page 40
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Davis shoots for play-offs by creating new targets CREWE ALEX by Gwyn Griffiths STEVE Davis plans to set specific targets for Crewe’s players in the hope it triggers a play-off bid. He has declared himself satisfied with his start in league management after taking the reins last November. Under his guidance, the Railwaymen have eased up from 18th to 14th place in League Two. But now the manager wants to speed up their progress by setting points tallies for blocks of games between now and May 5. “I’ll set targets for the players in the next 10 games,” said Davis. “It will give them something to achieve. “I feel the players need to play under the pressure of targets to give them a bit of an edge. “They’ve got to take that on board and go into games thinking they’re going to win every game, which has not always been the case. “But they are showing good signs and are certainly working very hard to put the wrongs right.” Davis has won four of his nine games in charge as well as securing a battling draw with leaders Crawley, despite playing most of the game with 10 men. But he has also suffered setbacks at Bradford (0-3) and at home against Morecambe (0-1), while also suffering an FA Cup exit at the hands of Colchester United. “I’m reasonably pleased with the progress in a short space of time. “We’ve improved. but not enough,” admitted Davis. “We’ve had some good results, but I’m disappointed we’ve not been able to get a run going after our first four games. “The players thought they’d cracked it, then they got beaten at Bradford, which was a reality check. “We’ve made changes and got some improvements, but there’s still a very long way to go.” ISSN 1746-7047
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Stylish Heaney in Viking raid Page 39
Miller mortgage breached £2.25m council loan deal
PUT AT RISK CASH-STRAPPED Port Vale breached their £2.25 million loan agreement with Stoke-onTrent City Council when they took out a mortgage worth £277,000 last month. Former club chairman Peter Miller borrowed the cash from Gibraltar-based company Continental Solutions on December 6, using Vale Park as security. At the time, Vale chief executive Perry Deakin said the money was needed to help ease the club’s “cash flow” problems. In fact, the move risked the very future of the club since it breached the terms of the substantial loan Vale agreed with the City Council in 2006. According to that agreement Vale are not permitted to incur more debt while the loan remains, and any attempt to do so must first be cleared by the authority. By taking out the mortgage, Miller, pictured left, risked the council demanding the return of their cash, a move almost certain to plunge Vale into administration. It remains unclear whether he discussed the mortgage with council officers, but it seems unlikely since his vice-chairman, Mike Lloyd, below, claimed the club board knew nothing of the loan until 10 days after it was registered with Companies House. The city council refused to comment on the terms of their loan last night, but it appears Miller’s gamble with the future of the club paid off. Mohammed Pervez, leader of the Labourrun council, told The Sentinel it would not be in the authority’s interest to take “drastic steps” that might jeopardise the club’s future.
PORT VALE by Steve Shaw and Alex Campbell Instead, he said the council would continue to monitor the “delicate” situation while protecting public money. Chartered accountant Sam Corcoran said he believed the club had breached their deal with the council by taking out the mortgage. He explained: “The council loan agreement talks about not entering into any material contracts, including loans, without the approval of the authority. “In my opinion, the loan taken out last month falls into this category because of its magnitude.” The city council loaned Vale £2.25m in 2006 to be repaid over 20 years. Latest available figures show that £1.897m is outstanding, but the city council confirmed all payments had so far been met by the club. Vale Supporters’ Club chairman Pete Williams claimed the latest revelation showed how poorly the club was being run. He added: “I find it appalling that Mr Miller has taken out this loan without the other directors knowing about it. “It shows how poorly the club is being run if the chairman can take such a major decision which should surely have only been taken following a vote at board level. “By taking out the loan Mr Miller has put the club’s future in further doubt, especially if he didn’t seek approval from the council.” Supporters are preparing to call an extraordinary general meeting to vote out the club’s four directors, and Williams added: “Fans and shareholders must come together to remove this board before they destroy our club.” No-one at Vale was available for comment.
New deal is rich reward for Whelan’s City progress STOKE CITY by Michael Baggaley GLENN Whelan has become the latest Stoke City player to commit his future to the club after signing a three-and-ahalf year contract. Goalkeepers Thomas Sorensen and Asmir Begovic signed new deals last month, and City are also hopeful of agreeing a contract with Robert Huth, who is due to become a free agent in 18 months. Manager Tony Pulis wants Huth tied to a new agreement before the defender reaches the final 12 months of his deal. Whelan also had 18 months left on his contract, but the new deal is reward for the progress the 27-year-old has made since helping City into the Premier League. The Republic of Ireland international joined City for £500,000 from Sheffield Wednesday in January 2008 and helped Stoke to promotion that season. But he seemed destined to be a bit-part player after struggling to break into the side after promotion. He started only one league game in Stoke’s first four months back in the top flight, but has since established himself as a key player. The midfielder is also a regular in the Ireland team which qualified for this summer’s European Championships in Poland and Ukraine. Whelan said: “I am excited about what the next few years could have in store, and I am proud to be a part of it as we look to continue the club’s excellent progress. “All of the hard work I have done over the past 12 months has paid off. To play at Wembley twice, reach the FA Cup final, play in Europe and be doing well at international level has certainly made it a memorable time for me.” ■ STOKE could take 5,500 supporters to Derby for their fourth-round FA Cup tie on the weekend of January 28/29. City have been granted an initial allocation of 4,100, with the option to take a further 1,400. Kick-off time and ticket prices could be confirmed today.