Opening home fixture in doubt
STANLEY’S opening home game of the League Two season has been thrown into doubt by the plight of scheduled opponents Bury.
The Shakers opening day game at MK Dons has already been suspended by the EFL after the cashstrapped club entering a Company Voluntary Agreement to reduce the debts.
Along with Bolton Wanderers, Bury had been set a 5pm deadline on Monday to give them the necessary reassurances that they could start the League One season.
Bolton managed to satisfy the league’s requirements and their game against Wycombe this weekend will go ahead – but Bury’s game at Gigg Lane will not take place.
The troubled club will already start the season on minus 12 points and could face an independent disciplinary commission and a potential further points deduction for failing to fulfil a fixture.
Bury now have until
today (Friday) to satisfy the EFL that the situation has changed and they can travel to Stanley on August 10.
An EFL statement said: “Following continued and comprehensive discussions with the ownership at Bury and other interested parties throughout Monday, the EFL Board is not satisfied it has received the necessary evidence in regard to the outstanding information it requires that demonstrates how the club will be funded moving forwards.
“As a result of not meeting Monday’s 5pm deadline, which had been extended on two previous occasions, the EFL Board feels it has been placed in an unenviable position and, regrettably, has opted to take the reluctant decision to suspend Saturday’s opening day fixture with MK Dons under the provision of EFL Regulation 28.2.
“In addition, the EFL Board, if not in possession of the necessary evidence by 12pm on Friday 2 August 2019, will make a determination as to whether to suspend Bury’s away fixture at Accrington Stanley on Saturday 10 August 2019.”
Should the Bury game be called off, it will mean Sunderland provide the first opposition at the Wham Stadium on Tuesday 13th August.
Meanwhile, manager John Coleman insists that the real hard work starts now the Reds get ready for their opening League One match of the season on Saturday.
Stanley kick things off with a trip to Sincil Bank to take on Lincoln City, looking to improve on their 14th placed finish from the 2018-19 campaign. Stanley finished their pre-season schedule with a 2-0 win away from home against Morecambe, with new signing Colby Bishop getting both goals at the Globe Arena.
Coleman was pleased with what he saw from his players, and hopes they can now carry that momentum into the clash with Lincoln on Saturday.
“It was a good game, Morecambe played some great football and made some good chances and our keeper has made a few saves, that’s more like what you are going to be playing against,” Coleman told the club’s official website.
“I was pleased with the way we responded in the second half, once we got our goal we took control of the game for a big period and the lads who came on acquitted themselves well.
“Morecambe look a good side, if they play like that I can’t see them having any problems next season, and I was pleased to win the game.
“Colby could have had the match ball as he has missed two headers but some of his flicks were really good, they were intelligent, and hopefully the longer he is with us, the better he will get.
“There is a long way to go though, we start the real work next week, it’s proper football and hopefully Colby will hit the ground running.
“I was also pleased Sean got on the scoresheet, it was a great little backheel by Joe Pritchard who looked lively when he came on. I have got a few decisions to make before Lincoln but I enjoy that. Hopefully there will be a few additions this week.”
With Coleman hoping for new additions, it would add more strength to the squad that he has bolstered throughout the summer, as there have been seven signings so far by the time the Observer went to print on Wednesday.
Wilson Carvalho was the latest to arrive at the Wham Stadium last week after joining on a free transfer from Stratford Town, while fellow free signings Ben Barclay, Lamine Kabe Sherif, Joe Maguire and Zaine Francis-Angol, along with Colby Bishop on an undisclosed fee from Leamington, all arrived during an extremely busy three day spell earlier this month.
They join Joe Pritchard, who was the first new recruit to arrive through the door at the Wham Stadium at the start of the summer.
‘The EFL Board... will make a determination as to whether to suspend Bury’s away fixture at Accrington’