Young wins race for Garvin
STOCKPORT County manager Neil Young believes new signing Joe Garvin has what it takes to be a massive hit at the club.
Young made Garvin his latest signing over the weekend after the midfielder agreed a deal to leave North West Counties Premier League side Colne.
He is expected to feature in this weekend’s pre-season clash with Halifax Town at Edgeley Park, and Young was glad to beat some bigger sides to his signature.
“There have been a few clubs watching him – some of them league clubs – so I wanted to get it done pretty quickly because I knew the vultures were hovering!” he said.
“Joe can play anywhere across midfield, likes to get forward and has a fantastic left foot.
“His dead ball delivery is as good as you will see and it all continues our recruitment of players from lower down the pyramid and giving them opportunities to show their ability at a higher level.
“I’m pleased to have got this deal done and we’d like to thank Colne for their assistance because the deal has been done very amicably.”
Garvin helped Colne finish fourth in their division last season, making 26 league appearances and scoring nine times.
He missed out on the friendly victory over Clitheroe at Shawbridge on Saturday, with Stockport running out comfortable 3-0 winners.
The match came after several hard weeks of training, and Young is happy with how things have been progressing so far.
“It’s been a very hard start to pre-season training but we believe in getting a good base fitness into them,” he said.
“We’ve done the majority of that now within the timescale we’ve got so there will be more ball work for them now.
“Ultimately, however, what we do in pre-season with training and games is all geared towards being right for August 8 and the first league game.
“It’s about the players taking on board what we’re trying to teach them and being ready for the new season.”
The County squad will head to the Paddock in Offerton on Sunday 26 July for an annual cricket match against players in the Fingerpost Flyers team, made up of loyal Hatters fans.
The event has been a regular part of County’s pre-season build up ever since the 1980’s, with thousands of pounds raised for charity over the years.
The match at Offerton Cricket Club will begin at 1.30pm and is free to attend.
Stockport County’s Under 21s will take on Stockport Town FC tomorrow evening (Thursday) at Stockport Sports Village in Woodley. Kick-off is at 8pm and entry is £5 for adults, £2 for concessions.
The cream of County’s young talent will be in action against the newest team in the borough.