Trialist keeps eye on City star

IT isn’t a name Athletic fans will be familiar with, but Argentine Joaquin Medinilla had a spell on trial at Boundary Park earlier this season.

The left-sided midfielder failed to land a contract and is currently on the staff at Coca-Cola League Two side Macclesfield Town.

Medinilla is a chaperone for Manchester City’s recent signing Pablo Zabaleta.

The pair are big buddies from their playing days in Argentina, where Medinilla played for Independiente and Zabaleta for San Lorenzo.

And as Medinilla had studied English at university, it was decided that he should accompany Zabaleta, who does not have a good grasp of our language, to help him settle in.


ATHLETIC’S redevelopment of Boundary Park is still be some way off, but Saturday’s opponents Brighton will finally begin work on their new £60million stadium at Falmer next week.

It is 11 years since Brighton were forced to quit the Goldstone Ground and, after years of planning wrangles, permission has at last been granted for their new ground.

Brighton spent two seasons groundsharing at Gillingham and the last nine at the Withdean, an athletics track with a restricted capacity of 8,850.

The new ground, by contrast, can house 22,500 and its innovative arch design has been based on the one used for Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.


LOCATION, location is why Athletic loan striker Darren Byfield rejected a loan move to Brighton.

Byfield, who was wanted by the Seagulls when Glenn Murray and Nicky Forster were injured, revealed that it was too far from his home in Birmingham.

That is why Byfield opted to join Athletic from Championship outfit Doncaster Rovers.

Brighton tried to buy Byfield from Millwall in last January’s transfer window, but he opted for a move to Bristol City instead.


FORMER Athletic trainee Aaron Chalmers, who had his contract terminated for disciplinary reasons, is training with Norwich City.

The 17-year-old defender/midfielder has also been at Aldershot Town, where his elder brother Lewis is a first-team regular, since leaving Boundary Park.


FORMER Athletic loan player David Livermore missed out on the chance to return to Boundary Park on Saturday.

The left-sided Livermore, who signed for Brighton in the summer, was ruled out through injury having undergone a cartilage operation last week.

Livermore spent one month on loan from Hull City earlier this year.


CARL Spiers has organised another of his popular events . . . an audience with.

This time it is the deadly strike partnership of Andy Ritchie and Frank Bunn.

The event takes place at the Candlelight Club on Sunday (1pm) when impressionist Leslie Gibson will be providing entertainment and a number of former Athletic players will also be attending.

Tickets, at £20, are available from Carl Spiers 07716 845511. A percentage of the money raised will be donated to Higginshaw Amateur Rugby League Club.