(^58) DAILY MIRROR FRIDAY 30.08.2019
DM1ST
You must
believe in
miracles
BURY: THE BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL
Charlie’s fight to
save his career
CHARLIE DANIELS may have kicked his
last ball for Bournemouth after being
ruled out for the rest of the season with
a dislocated kneecap.
Left-back Daniels, 32, whose contract
is up next summer, was carried off on a
stretcher (above) during Sunday’s 3-1
defeat at home to Manchester City
after collapsing in agony.
Cherries boss Eddie Howe said: “We
are devastated for Charlie.
“He is a big character around this
club – a huge part of our journey and
our rise through the leagues – and he
will continue to be just as important
while undergoing his recovery.”
Outcast Smalling
in move to Roma
MANCHESTER UNITED’S out-of-favour
defender Chris Smalling is poised to
join AS Roma on loan.
Smalling (below) travelled to the
Italian capital last night to agree a deal
with the Serie A outfit and it is
understood Roma will pay a
£2.7million fee, but will
not have an option to
make the move
permanent next
summer.
Smalling has a
contract at United until
2022 and club bosses are still keen to
retain control of his long-term future.
He decided to leave Old Trafford
after the world-record signing of Harry
Maguire in an £80m deal.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has
decided Maguire and Victor Lindelof
will be his main central-defensive
pairing this season.
Alexis Sanchez last night joined Inter
Milan on a season-long loan.
SCOTT GOT
L-P L AT E S
Cardiff City v Fulham
Kick-off 7.45pm
APPRENTICE Fulham manager Scott
Parker is looking forward to learning
from master Neil Warnock tonight –
whatever the result.
The former England midfielder, 38,
(above) has only been in permanent
charge since May while Warnock, 70,
has eight promotions in a 39-year
managerial career.
He said: “Neil’s got vast experience
and seen a lot. Then there’s me who’s
dipping my toe, just starting out.
“He’s probably a good one to have
a little chat with. Last season I had a
little bit of communication with him.
“He has done very, very well,
especially in this league.”
Warnock is hoping his £5.5million
striker, Robert Glatzel, can open his
account. “We need some goals – and
it is time to stand up,” he said.
BRIGHTON SAVIOUR: WE WERE
IN BIGGER MESS THAN SHAKERS
DICK KNIGHT believes Brighton
were in an even worse state
than Bury and Bolton – and
thinks that should give both
clubs hope of a “miracle”.
Former Brighton chairman
Knight took over the club more
than 20 years ago, when they were
rock bottom of the Football League,
did not even have a ground, and the
other clubs were voting to kick
them out.
Knight does not tell the story of
Brighton’s incredible story from
despair to Premier League to
gloat. He wants to show the
Shakers there could be hope and
Bolton their takeover could
signal the start of better things.
Businessman Knight, now life
president of Brighton, says the
biggest ingredient must be the
backing of the fans, But he also
stressed the need for owners, who
are football fans, with the right
business acumen.
From the brink of expulsion from
the league, Knight started the
revival and is now a folk hero
among fans – he even has a bar
named after him.
Current chairman Tony Bloom
completed the job by guiding the
Seagulls to the promised land of the
Premier League. Knight told Mirror
Sport: “It looks as if Bury will have to
start again lower down the pyramid
but, with the right leadership, surely
there must be hope for Bolton.
“I don’t say this for any other
reason than to give those supporters
hope, but we were in a worse state.
We were bottom of the league and
didn’t have a ground.
“At one stage, we were having to
travel 75 miles to play
our games at Gillingham... and now
we are in the Premier League.
“I love Brighton and Hove Albion,
I was born and bred, and that helped
the fans, because they believed in
me. That is so important now for a
club like Bolton to move forward.
“Bury and Bolton have so much
history and support and we cannot
allow that to just disappear.
“The most important thing is that
you have owners who are
passionate about the club, but also
have football knowledge, a
knowledge of how the game works.
“When you have that, that’s when
the fans believe in you. I got people
who backed me, like Norman Cook,
Fatboy Slim. He believed in me,
other people did. A guy called Bill
Brown, who was big in the City.
“Once they can see you are
pushing in the right direction, once
they know you are a fan and can
trust you, that’s what is important.
“Ultimately, the club is the fans,
and the fans can save it or not. They
have got to find someone, who is
not only a leader, but has got the
financial resources. You don’t
necessarily have to have all the
financial backing yourself.
“But you’ve got to use the fan
resource – they have got a huge
range of abilities. People who
support Bury and Bolton are like the
people who support Brighton. You
can tap into them.
“We had accountants, zoologists
and even nuclear scientists – you
name it. I did a survey of the
Brighton fans, found out what work
they did and, while we didn’t need
a nuclear scientist, we had one if we
needed it!
“It was almost like a crusade to
save Brighton. I had no intention of
becoming chairman, but I couldn’t
let the club die. Between myself and
Tony Bloom, we performed miracles
to get it going again.”
BY DAVID ANDERSON
BURY are “utterly devastated”
the EFL will not rescind the
decision to kick them out of the
League when they have a buyer.
They claim SJ Global
Investment are prepared to pay
£7million for the club and are
distraught the EFL expelled them
on Tuesday night despite the
offer being on the table.
The EFL have refused Bury’s
pleas to rescind their expulsion
and say they had to act because
they had received no proof of
funding and no due diligence had
taken place.
But the Shakers said in a
statement: “Everyone connected
with Bury FC was shocked and
disappointed with the EFL’s
decision.
“This decision was taken
despite a credible new bidder
being made aware to them before
Tuesday’s 5pm deadline.
“All staff, players and fans are
utterly devastated that despite
the new bid to buy the club, the
EFL will not be rescinding their
decision.”
SHAKERS ARE
‘DEVASTATED’
TEARS & CHEERS
Knight and a fan after
final Goldstone match
EXCLUSIVE
BY JOHN CROSS
Chief Football Writer
@johncrossmirror
BURY’S AGONY Mirror Sport coverage on
Wednesday (left) and in yesterday’s paper
michael s
(Michael S)
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