Latics look for extra fixture

ATHLETIC are trying to arrange an extra pre-season friendly for Wednesday week.

Manager John Sheridan is keen to have another fixture, even though it will only be 24 hours after their behind-closed-doors friendly against Belgian side Cercle Brugge.

That match takes place at Brockhall, the training ground of Blackburn Rovers with whom Brugge have close links and who are holding a training camp in the North West.

Chief executive Alan Hardy is close to finalising a game which would be away against opponents who are believed to have experience of playing European football.

Mr Hardy said: “We have so many players that most of them will not have the chance to play for more than 45 minutes against Cercle Brugge.

“That is why the manager is keen to have another game the next day so the players can get extra time playing.”

Athletic then head to Grimsby on Saturday week and have fixtures against Derby County, Hull City and Bradford City to come.

The first week of pre-season happily was incident free with everybody coming through unscathed.

Athletic have lost out for one of their transfer targets as David Livermore has moved from Hull City to League One rivals Brighton on a free transfer.

Livermore impressed during a loan spell at Boundary Park last season and Sheridan told the player he would be interested in signing him permanently.

It is thought that Livermore’s personal demands, however, would have proved an obstacle to joining Athletic.

Left-back Ryan Bertand, who had a spell on loan to Athletic from Chelsea, is returning to Championship club Norwich City having joined them in January after leaving Boundary Park.

Ex-Latics defender Danny Hall has signed a one-year contract at Chesterfield having left Gretna, the Scottish Premier League club which has gone bust.