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| Manager George Graham
got his preparations for the 1984/85 season off to a flying start,
starting before the final game of the 1983/84 season. |
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| MILLWALL
manager George Graham is adding Plymouth defender Lindsay Smith to his
squad.
But it won't be a new
experience for the 29-year-old Smith, who made five on-loan appearances
for Millwall and one for Charlton.
Smith starred in
Plymouth's great FA Cup run this season and though his role is centre
back he can play as a striker.
Final
Graham will issue his
retained list later this week but there won't he many leaving the Den.
Tonight (Thursday) the
Lions play in the semi-final of the Associated Members Cup at Plymouth.
If successful they'll play Bournemouth in the final.
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| DEAN
WHITE'S hopes of moving back to Gillingham were dashed yesterday
White, given a tree
transfer by Millwall last week, left Gillingham for The Den in
the swap deal
involving Dean Horrix. But Gillingham boss Keith Peacock told me
yesterday, "We are overstocked with midfield players at the moment
and 1 can't see any role for Dean.
"He is certainly
good enough to play League football. He's an honest club player but
there's no room for him back here."
Twenty-five-year-old
skipper White, who has bought a house near to Gillingham's ground, said
yesterday, "Obviously, a move back to Gillingham would have suited
me fine."
But I understand that
White has been offered a deal by a foreign club. He added, "I have
been so troubled by injuries this season that I've only played 19 games.
During that time the club have been good to me, paying me full wages and
bonuses. But it was still something of a shock to he told I was no
longer wanted."
Last night, Millwall
were playing their Associate Members Cup regional final at Bournemouth
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| EIRE
Under-21 international Tony Kinsella has bean given a free transfer by
Ipswich and could he on his way back to Millwall.
He was with the Lions
before moving to Tampa Bay Rowdies but Brighton, with veteran striker
Frank Worthington reinforcing their promotion challenge for next season,
are also interested.
Kinsella, a midfield
player cost Ipswich £40,000 from the American club two years ago. |
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Brian
Sparrow who was on loan from Arsenal to Millwall, this season, has
signed on a free for Palace.
Meanwhile,
Millwall boss George Graham isn't taking a holiday this year. He's too
busy building a team for next season. Following his signing of
Aldershot's Les Briley the other week, he has persuaded Tony Kinsella to
rejoin the Lions.
Kinsella
was a member of the Millwall youth team that carried off the FA Youth
Cup. Kinsella, 22, was transferred to Tampa Bay Rowdies, where former
Lions boss Gordon Jago - now
back at QPR - was manager. Then he returned to England to sign for
Ipswich together with another ex-Lion, Kevin O'Callaghan.
Graham
said: "I've told Tony he has a lot of ability but his career has
stagnated in recent months. It's up to him to take up the challenge.
He's still young enough to have a very good future. The challenge could
inspire him."
Nicky
Chatterton and Keith Stevens have signed new contracts. |
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·MILLWALL
have arranged a friendly with Aston Villa at the Den, on August 4 (3pm).
·Manager
George Graham, who leaves for a holiday after the League AGM, on Friday,
isn't expecting to make any more summer signings.
·He
had hoped to persuade Mick Baxter of Middlesboro to sign for the Lions,
but the defender plumped
for Portsmouth.
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| Millwall snap up Les
Briley |
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| by
Michael Hart
Millwall today began
their team rebuilding for next season when they signed 27-year-old
Aldershot captain Les Briley.
Manager George Graham
paid £20,000 plus Andy Massey for the Lamberth-born former Chelsea,
Hereford and Wimbledon midfield player.
"He was
Aldershot's inspiration in their bid for promotion from-Division Four
this season", said Graham. "Its possible he'll be my captain
next season."
Graham, who is
negotiating other signings, has given free |
transfers
to David Stride, Dean
White, and Carl Cowley.
Tonight Millwall are
away to Plymouth in the southern semi-final of the Associate Members
Cup. The winners are away to Bournemouth on Monday.
Because of injuries
Graham has had to recall Teddy Sheringham from the England Youth
training squad and may also call up another 17-year-old in defender
Nicky Coleman for only his second game of the season.
Dean Neal is doubtful
with a knee ligament injury and Micky Nutton (Achilles injury) and White
(ankle) are out. |
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| White Axed In Lions
Shock |
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| MILLWALL
manager George Graham yesterday explained the thinking behind his shock
changes at The Den.
OUT go skipper Dean
White, defenders David Stride and Carl Cowley and midfield man Andy
Massey.
IN comes former
Wimbledon midfield man Les Briley, signed from Aldershot. Massey leaves
for Aldershot and the deal is topped up with a £20,000 payment from
Millwall.
Graham wrapped up his
dramatic end-of-season manoeuvres by offering new contracts to former
skipper Nicky Chatterton and defender Keith Stevens.
The Den chief said,
"I've decided to let White go because he's had a very poor season
on the pitch. He has a marvelous attitude - that’s why I made him
captain -but I have to find better players for our midfield."
Stride looks likely to
return to America and Graham explained, "He has been living in
Southampton all the time he has been with Millwall and is close
re-arranging a new club."
Young centre half
Cowley is recovering from a make-or-break operation to cure a weakness
in his foot and Graham said the club will offer him a short-term
contract, if he needs it.
Briley, who left
Wimbledon for Fourth Division Aldershot in a £43,000 deal, should prove
only the first of Graham's new signings. He said, "I have some
other players in mind."
White, who joined the
Lions in a swap deal that took Dean Horrix to Gillingham, played just 40
League games for Millwall.
Massey, who as a
Deptford youngster sold sweets from The Den touchline, was never able to
establish himself in the Lions line-up. Millwall were last night
fighting for a regional final place in the Associate Members' Cup at
Plymouth.
|
Clear-out
at The Den By Brian Stater |
All Change: Dean White |
All Change: David
Stride |
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MILLWALL
boss George Graham has been tipped as top choice to take over at Portsmouth.
Graham
played for the Fratton Park side during an illustrious career and his
name had gone alongside
others like Alan Mullery, Alan Ball, Keith Burkinshaw, Mick Mills and
Lou Macari.
Graham
said: "I haven't been approached by anyone from Portsmouth and I
have a contract at the Den and a job to do."
"It's
an interesting job at Pompey but I have probably the best chairman in
the game at this club. I've been taught that if you get a good chairman
you stay with him." |
"I
intend to build a side that will not only go up but will push for
promotion again. Les Briley, the Aldershot skipper is the first of the
close season signings I'll make."
"People
expected us to gain
promotion this year, but I knew we weren't good enough after about
quarter of the way through. We did well to finish ninth. "I'm very
happy at Millwall and feel we have the makings of a good future."
Nicky
Chatterton and Keith Stevens still haven't made up their minds about
signing new contracts.
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| Home Sweet Home For
Super Tony |
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By
Brian Stater
TONY
KINSELLA is poised to make a dramatic return to The Den.
Millwall
chief George Graham expects to clinch the signing from First Division
Ipswich later this week.
Kinsella,
now 23, was one of the teenage stars of Millwall’s FA Youth Cup
winning team of 1979. After 55 Third Division appearances, he left the
Lions for American giants Tampa Bay Rowdies in a joint £ 150,000 deal
with David Mehmet in 1981.
He
returned to English soccer in a £60,000 move to Ipswich a year later
and has made a handful of First Division appearances. Yesterday he was
talking terms with Graham at The Den.
A
delighted Graham said, "He’s a left-sided player who can operate
either in midfield or on the wing. There aren't a lot of those lads
about. Every club I know is looking for good left-footed players."
Graham
added, "Tony was outstanding as a youngster here, but his career
has stagnated in the last couple of seasons. But he’s still young
enough to recapture his promise. I was astonished when I found out how
young he is."
Handed
Kinsella
has been handed a free transfer by Ipswich and Graham has now to iron
out contract details before completing the signing.
Meanwhile,
Lindsay Smith remains a target for the Lions boss. Plymouth are asking
£50,000 for the big |
|
Kinsella:
Talking terms at the Den |
defender,
but Graham remains hopeful that he can persuade them to accept a more
realistic figure.
Millwall
are unlikely to face any disciplinary action follows a disturbance at
their Associate Members' Cup clash at Bournemouth last week.
The
Football League have written to Bournemouth seeking their view's but I
understand. the south coast club will recommend. that the matter should
not be taken further. |
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by
Brian Stater
Tony
Kinsella reckons his Millwall comeback will bring him in from the soccer
wilderness. The 23-year-old midfield man completed his move from Ipswich
late this week after ironing out formalities with Den chief George
Graham.
The
deal ends a bleak Spell for Kinsella, who was one of the brightest stars
of the brilliant Millwall youth team of the late seventies.
He
said, "I'm very pleased to he going back. When I left, to go to
America three years ago, everything looked marvelous.
"I
was in the Irish under-21 team, we had won the FA Youth Cup and the
future looked set.” |
"But
I haven't been able to settle anywhere since that move. The football in
America with Tampa Bay Rowdies wasn’t too clever. I didn't enjoy it at
all. Then Bobby Robson signed me for Ipswich but that was just before he
got the England job and my face didn't fit with the new manager, Bobby
Ferguson.
"George
Graham, saw me a couple of times in the Ipswich reserves and as soon as
Millwall heard I'd been given a free transfer they got on to me."
Kinsella
and his wife, Debbie, plan to move to Kent from their Ipswich home in
the next few months. And he should have no trouble settling in at The
Den - Dave Martin, Paul Robinson and Paul Sansome survive at the club
from his youth team days. |
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MILLWALL
chief George Graham is cursing his luck after being beaten to the
signing of Middlesbrough's Mick Baxter.
The
27-year-old central defender had been locked in a wages wrangle with
Boro and opted to go to Portsmouth.
Graham
said, "I was very close to signing him, if he hadn't gone to
Portsmouth he would definitely have come here.
There
were two reasons behind his decision. One was that Portsmouth are
a |
Second
Division side, and there was a financial difference as well."
Graham
added, "Mick's father used to coach me when I was at Aston Villa
and it would have been very nice to have him with us."
“Meanwhile
Graham-is unlikely complete any further signings before starting a
summer break on Friday.
The
Lions have arranged a glamour pre-season friendly against First Division
Aston Villa at The Den on August 4. |
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