SKY Bet Football League Magazine - mock by Sean Dyer

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE

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CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE

GET THE LATEST ROUND-UP, LEAGUE TABLES AND OTHER VITAL STATS FOR EACH LEAGUE

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IN THIS WEEK’S MAG...

SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS

Q&A

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NEWS & GOSSIP THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve collected all the talk from the dugout, the changing rooms and the board room from around The Football League. Do you have a tip-off about a player, hilarious banter or another exciting rumour? Email FLMagazine@footballeague.net Jailed Sheffield Wednesday striker to rejoin squad (BBC Sport): Sheffield Wednesday striker Gary Madine is to rejoin the Owls squad on Thursday following his release from prison. One Direction's Louis Tomlinson to make Doncaster debut (Guardian): One Direction heart-throb Louis Tomlinson will make his Doncaster Rovers debut in a reserve team fixture on Wednesday, with over 4,000 fans expected to cheer him on.

Derby have signed experienced defender Lee Naylor on a short-term deal until the end of the season: Naylor, formerly of Wolves and Celtic, has been training with the Rams and played in their last two under-21 fixtures. He was a free agent after his contract with Sky Bet League Two club Accrington was cancelled by mutual consent.

Jones still aiming for Wembley (The Argus): Nathan Jones has urged Brighton and Hove Albion to concentrate all their efforts on a more realistic route to Wembley in the Championship.

Yeovil Town implore district council support of supermarket plan to protect 'jewel in Somerset's crown' (Western Gazette): Yeovil Town have again implored South Somerset District Council to support 'one of the jewels in the county's crown' and back supermarket plans they believe could be determined in April.

Lee Johnson: Oldham Athletic have enough quality to avoid drop (BBC Radio Manchester): Manager Lee Johnson is confident that Oldham Athletic will not be dragged into a League 1 relegation battle.

Gillingham boss Peter Taylor will contact Charlton Athletic manager Chris Powell as he hopes to extend Joe Pigott's loan (Kent Online): Peter Taylor is aiming to extend the loan of Charlton Athletic striker Joe Pigott.

Manchester United's Jesse Lingard set for Brighton loan move (Sky Sports): Sky Sports understands Manchester United starlet Jesse Lingard is poised to join Sky Bet Championship club Brighton and Hove Albion on loan.

Blackburn Rovers ace Tom Cairney will not be rushed (Lancashire Telegraph): Blackburn Rovers star Tom Cairney is undergoing daily medical treatment in a bid to be fit for Saturday's clash at neighbours Bolton Wanderers.

Boss Wilder praises players as Northampton Town win again (Northampton Chronicle & Echo): Chris Wilder praised his Cobblers players for getting the Sixfields crowd off their feet as they completed a second successive victory.

'One Boro goal will open the floodgates', says on-loan midfielder (Gazette Live): On-loan midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah says that, despite a six- game drought, the squad still believe they have firepower.

Morecambe to extend Devitt deal until end of season (The Visitor): Morecambe have agreed to extend the loan deal of Chesterfield winger Jamie Devitt until the end of the season.

Crystal Palace's Jonny Williams makes Ipswich move after scoring against them (London Evening Standard): Crystal Palace midfielder Jonny Williams was today set to join Ipswich Town on a month's loan after impressing against them in an Under-21s match.

Callum Wilson - 'I feel ready to return' (BBC Sport): Coventry City striker Wilson says he is ready to return after two months out with a shoulder injury.

Crystal Palace midfielder Garvan a loan target for Millwall (News at Den): Millwall are hoping to complete the loan signing of Crystal Palace midfielder Owen Garvan before Saturday's home game against Brighton.

Crawley Town terminate contract of right-back James Hurst (Crawley News): Crawley Town have confirmed James Hurst has left the club after his contract was cancelled by mutual consent.

Southend United manager Phil Brown wants new mentality and signings (Echo): Southend United manager Phil Brown feels a change of mentality and new players are needed to stop their Sky Bet League 2 rot at Roots Hall.

Leeds aim to sign new striker this week (Yorkshire Post): Leeds United boss Brian McDermott is intensifying his search for new striking recruits this week in a bid to inject much-needed impetus into the club's Sky Bet Championship Play-Off bid.

Tope Obadeyi aiming to impress again in second loan spell at Plymouth Argyle (Western Morning News): Obadeyi has admitted it was 'an easy decision' to re-sign on loan for Plymouth Argyle from Bury for the second time.

No talks due for Swindon Town's outof-contract players (Swindon Advertiser): No contract talks are imminent for those players whose current deals at Swindon Town expire at the end of this season, according to manager Mark Cooper.

Watford signing not enough for Lucas Neill to return for Ecuador friendly (Western Australian Today): Lucas Neill's signing with Watford is unlikely to be enough for him to force his way into the Socceroos' squad for next month's friendly against Ecuador.

John Dempster - Mansfield Town's quality starting to shine through (Nottingham Post): Slowly but surely, Mansfield Town are starting to win round a few of their critics, says the Stags defender.

John McMahon eyes more loans for Tranmere Rovers (Liverpool Echo): Caretaker manager John McMahon says his Sky Bet League 1 side have the scope to go back into the loan market for new signings after the two Matthew Kennedy and Matthew Pennington were recalled by Everton. Hartlepool United boosted by Michael Duckworth scan results (BBC Sport): Hartlepool United have confirmed that X-rays show Michael Duckworth did not break his leg in the Sky Bet League 2 defeat by Northampton Town on Saturday.

Darren Ferguson: 'Posh penalty-takers had plenty of bottle' (Peterborough Telegraph): Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson praised the 'bottle' shown by his players as they clinched a date at Wembley with a penalty shoot-out victory at Swindon.

Double blow for Swindon Town (Swindon Advertiser): Swindon Town suffered a miserable double blow as they were knocked out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy on penalties and learned that striker Nile Ranger could be out of action until the end of the Sky Bet League 1 season through injury.

Blackburn Rovers boss Bowyer may loan one of his 'keepers out but insists that youngster Kean is still in his plans (Lancashire Telegraph): Blackburn Rovers boss Gary Bowyer has stressed that Jake Kean remains a firm part of his plans - but he has not ruled out allowing one of his goalkeepers out on loan.

Scruffy win is what we need, says Adam Chapman (South Wales Argus): Newport County host third-placed Oxford United tonight in the first of five successive home games as they aim to get their Sky Bet League 2 promotion push back on track.

Norwich City's Declan Rudd has grown up on loan at Preston North End (The Pink'Un): Norwich City's former England Under-21 keeper Declan Rudd believes he will return to Carrow Road a far better keeper for his extended loan spell at League 1 promotion hopefuls Preston North End.

Birmingham City eye move for free agent Darcy Blake (Sky Sports): Birmingham City are eyeing a move for former Crystal Palace defender Darcy Blake, Sky Sports understands.

Steve Cotterill keen to extend Wade Elliott's loan deal at Bristol City (Bristol Post): Bristol City boss Steve Cotterill is in talks with Birmingham City to extend Wade Elliott's loan deal until the end of the season.

McDermott and Fazackerley future in doubt (BBC Sport): The futures of Birmingham City's assistant manager Terry McDermott and first-team coach Derek Fazackerley are in doubt, amid reports the pair have left the Sky Bet Championship club.

Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson shuns talk of 'wins target' needed for automatic promotion (Leicester Mercury): Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson said he would be stupid to talk about how many more victories his side will need to clinch automatic promotion.

Claret Arfield still eyes Scots' call (Lancashire Telegraph): Scott Arfield says he hasn't given up on his Scotland dream, but his priority is to keep playing well for Burnley.

dedicated FAN:

This monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tale comes from Norway from a fan who avidly supports The Railwaymen, Crewe Alexandra. How does someone from Scandanavia starts supporting a club in Cheshire? It all starts from an unlikely outlet...

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE

G L O BAL APPEAL : H elge has s et u p Cr ew e A lexandr a’s N or w ay S up por ter s Br anch.. . all f r o m s cr atch

he cult of football manager simulation games and their addictive qualities are difficult to explain to the uninitiated. It’s a passion so overwhelming that everything else is neglected – and such games have been cited in 35 divorces cases in the UK alone. But for Norwegian football fan Helge Gjerstad the game Championship Manager led to a marriage rather than a split. It ignited the flame for his love affair with Crewe Alexandra. “I first came across Crewe Alex in the mid 90s playing Championship Manager,” explained Helge, 28. “I would always pick teams in the lower divisions. I either picked Crewe or Mansfield Town.” After leading Crewe to numerous European titles in the usual Crewe way – nurturing players through its famous youth system – Helge started to follow the team in real life, first by just checking the score each week. “English football is a big thing in Norway so we’d always get the scores and the points table for all the divisions in the newspaper and on Ceefax. “Being a budding footballer myself when I was younger, I went to a training camp in Newcastle and before playing a

local side Crewe Alex’s youth squad were playing on the pitch before us. My coach knew I was a fan of Crewe, so he introduced me to Steve Holland – from that moment it has been all about Crewe for me.” Helge wasn’t kidding. He finally travelled to Gresty Road in 2006 to see Crewe battle Blackpool in a losing 2-1 effort. “The first time I got to watch Crewe play was in 2002 when they played Everton in the FA Cup,” Helge reminisced. “The game was shown on TV at a sports bar in my hometown of Bergen.” Crewe’s focus on youth development and promotion of technically advanced football makes it an attractive club for neutrals and it captivates fans from around the world. According to Helge, Crewe Alex is a well-known name in Norway! “It’s a well-supported club in Norway. I just mention who I support and they’ll either mention Dario Gradi, Nick Powell or Max Clayton.” Realising the potential, Helge opened a Norwegian supporter’s branch in 2012. The website translates match reports and other newsbytes about The Railwaymen from English into Norwegian. “Using social media I’ve rounded up Norwegians

already supporting Crewe and gained a few new followers along the way,” continued Helge. We’ve been to both Wembley games and a few home and away matches. We’re really building a strong faithful of Norwegians who support The Alex!” Norway’s top division, the Tippeligaen, is ranked 26th in UEFA’s league rankings. “Personally I think the standard of play in Norway is quite low,” said Helge. “I went and watched Crystal Palace and Barnsley play a 0-0 draw and it reminded me of back home. I’d say the Tippeligaen is midto-low Championship level. Crewe could fit comfortably in Norway’s premier division. Another problem we face is the cold and wet weather. When I was younger we had to play on gravel! It’s only been recently that we’ve had AstroTurf installed – that’s been in the last 10 years or so.” The Alex has always had Scandinavian roots – the name of Alexandra for example originates from Danish royalty. Finland’s Lauri Dalla Valle also had a brief spell on loan in the 2012-13 campaign, bagging five goals in 12 appearances. However, no Norwegian native has donned a Crewe shirt so far. The Alex haven’t had many international players in their history. Nigeria hold the record with four players.

Crewe Alexandra’s global appeal has always been there thanks to the Gradi era of attractive, technically sound football and doing things in the ‘proper’ way. It look like the Alex’s potential world-wide appeal is just waiting to be exploited. Thanks to fans such as Helge and his supporters’ branch in Norway, Crewe is already another step closer to becoming a world renowned beacon of good football. Helge is getting closer and closer to the club over the years said he has been in contact via Twitter with some of the players over the last year. “Recently my #CreweAlexNor flag has been at Gresty Road a few times. Luke Murphy, Kelvin Mellor, Abdul Osman, Matt Tootle, Max Clayton (and many more players) and the gaffer (Steve Davis) have all stood for a picture with the flag. “I guess they are starting to realize that they have fans from Norway – and all over the world.”

#CREWEALE Have you seen XNOR

Helge Gjerstad’s #CreweAlexNor flag around Gresty Road?

MANAGER: Steve Davis

WEMBLEY: Crewe have reached Wembley twice in three seasons - The League Two Playoff Final 2011/2012 and The Football League Trophy Final 2012/2013

Q&A With... Albert Adomah THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE

The Ghanaian born striker finds himself in Middlesborough as he starts his accesent up the ranks of professional football and African prominence. A footballer begins by playing in the backyard for fun. Can you describe how playing for money has affected the way you play the game?

When playing professional football there is a lot more emphasis on playing a 'role' within the team. Each player has a job to do, which to a certain extent limits the ability for you to do things instinctively. When playing in the backyard for fun it was all about experimenting with different skills. The freedom to do this in a professional team is limited because this freedom to experiment does not fit in with the team objectives. When you were young, did you and your parents think there was a realistic possibility of you playing professionally?

No, it was not a 'realistic' possibility but it was certainly my number one dream to represent Ghana. I was more naturally talented with cricket and tennis as a youngster and probably had more of a chance at excelling in those, although my heart was always set on football. I was fortunate to get scouted playing at 20. How has your relative fame affected the way that old acquaintances treat you?

With my close friends it has not affected my relationships because we still relate on a similar level to way we always have (pre-football). With people that I have met since becoming a footballer it is often hard to reach an understanding that goes beyond me as a footballer.

Growing up, you and your friends practiced signing your names. Do you remember the first time you signed an autograph for a fan?

Yes I do and it was well before I had achieved anything in the game. It felt a bit strange to be giving a kid an autograph as a novice, but as if I was going to say no! I also remembered as a young

fan asking one of my heroes for an autograph and he said no, and I remembered how upset it made me. I made a promise to myself that day that if I ever had a public profile in sport I would never reject someone for an autograph.

Professional athletes don't simply compete with, but also against one another. How does competition among players for limited positions affect the team spirit in the side?

Last season quite a few players left the club so there has been a lot of competition for spots in this years new look team. This has been a good thing. The rivalry between players for positions has made the training sessions competitive and at a high intensity. Undoubtedly there will some players disappointed at missing selection but those who are in the team will realise that they must produce good form or else they can be quickly replaced.

The security of a professional athlete's job seems to be more performance based than other vocations. Would you rather a good performance in a losing side or a poor performance in a winning side?

I would rather a good performance in a losing side most of the time. Unless of course it was a Grand Final. The worst feeling in team sport is feeling like you haven't done your job and you let your team mates down. Whereas if you come off the field knowing that you have given your best, regardless of the result there is a sense of satisfaction. Although its impossible to control everything that happens on the field, I have found that if you know you have prepared as properly and professionally as possible in the lead up to the game you are likely to perform at a high level consistently.

Who is your idol?

Abedi Pele. He has won the African Cup of Nations and the Champions League.

You spend a lot of time in the gym and you've also spent a lot of time in the books to earn a degree in physiotherapy. Is it more difficult to train your body or your mind?

Personally, training the body I find less difficult. Playing rubgy league has always been a passion of mine so training on the field and in the gym has been something I have always enjoyed doing. Although the physical demands and mental toughness required to push the body's pain limits is taxing, it has never felt like a job. Whereas it was not always 'enjoyable' slogging it out with the study books in the library for hours on end.

Is being a professional athlete just as difficult or more difficult than a normal job?

I would say less difficult. For me its never boring or monotonous being a professional athlete. Although there are a lot of sacrifices you have to make like no free weekends, dietary restrictions and pressure from being in the public eye, I wouldn't want to trade it for a 9 to 5 desk job. We get paid well to do something we enjoy and each day you are surrounded by your friends. There is also the realisation that this career does not last forever and that a normal job is waiting for me in 6 - 8 years time so now is the time to enjoy the ride and make the most of it. If I wasn’t a football player I’d probably be a Policeman or Sports Journalist.

What is the best piece of advice you've received, and what was the source of that advice?

The quality of your life comes down to the size of your contribution”. That was advice given to me by my mother. I feel extremely lucky to have the job and lifestyle I've fallen in to. It can feel like a guilty and selfish existence at times when you see how many people struggle. I seem to be happiest when I know I am providing some type of help or inspiration to others.

PROUD: Adomah has represented Ghana 76 times with 39 goals

HALFTIME PIE THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE

Tranmere Rovers and Hartlepool United have played against each other 110 times. Here are the stats: Tranmere Rovers win: 51