Athletic cancel Chalmers deal

Aaron Chalmers: Contract cancelled by Athletic.

ATHLETIC have cancelled the contract of teenager Aaron Chalmers for disciplinary reasons.

It is understood Athletic had lost patience with the 17-year-old defender/midfield player who had been involved in a number of misdemeanours.

The Miles Platting-born Chalmers, who joined Athletic at the age of nine, had been regarded as a player of promise as underlined by him breaking into the first team last season while a first-year scholar.

Chalmers, who had been on non-contract terms this season, made his league debut as a substitute against Leyton Orient in April and the same month had a cameo role at Northampton.

Earlier in the campaign Chalmers, then still 16 years of age, had been an unused substitute in the Johnstone’ Paints Trophy at Accrington Stanley and FA Cup-tie at Doncaster Rovers.

Athletic were waiting to hear from Walsall whether tonight’s reserve-team friendly at the Banks’s Stadium goes ahead.

Manager John Sheridan is keen for the game to proceed so many of his squad players can get a run out.

Front-player Deane Smalley was due to return after recovering from the hip injury he sustained at Northampton and which he aggravated against Cheltenham as he was ruled out of the win at Southend.

Other senior players due to play include Neal Eardley, Chris O’Grady, Lewis Alessandra, Kieran Lee and Greg Fleming.

SQUAD: Fleming, Eardley, Rose, Stephens, Esdaile-Biney, Dawson, Smalley, Lee, O’Grady, Alessandra, Eaves, Ollerenshaw, Cowan, Bembo-Leta, Kilcourse.

Athletic were anticipating training being disrupted today due to the difficulty travelling caused by heavy overnight snow.

The club has a sizeable contingent of players and staff based in Yorkshire and, with trans-Pennine routes treacherous, there were doubts whether they would be able to reach Boundary Park.

Athletic’s week has already been disrupted by the cold snap with their training pitches frozen and yesterday’s session switched to the artificial pitch at Chapel Road.

There are worries that Saturday’s home game against Brighton may become a casualty of the weather.

The Boundary Park pitch has been affected by this week’s penetrating frost -now trapped under snow.

Club officials have been checking regularly for weather updates and they say the forecast is for milder conditions by Thursday.