Icy blast impedes training schedule

PARK LIFE: THE WINTRY conditions have severely hindered Athletic’s preparations of late.

Prior to the Hartlepool game, the squad was able to train on grass only once in a 10-day period due to the local snow and ice.

Indoor football facilities have been used but even those were out of commission on Tuesday, when Oldham was besieged by a heavy snowfall that made road conditions treacherous.

Training was cancelled and the players were left to get stuck into gym work closer to home.

Athletic officials decided to leave Boundary Park shut for the day on Tuesday and they weren’t the only ones, with other north west clubs including Liverpool, Huddersfield, Blackpool, Tranmere and Rochdale taking the same course of action.




ATHLETIC’S new loan duo will be eligible to play in the team’s next five scheduled matches.



Plymouth Argyle centre-back Krisztian Timar, who cut a sizeable figure alongside Sean Gregan at Hartlepool, arrived on a one-month deal on New Year’s Day and will stay at the club to take in the sequence of games against Leyton Orient (H), Stockport County (A), Tranmere (H), Millwall (H) and Brentford (A).

The presence of the Hungary international — Argyle’s fans’ player of the season for 2007-08 — reinforces Athletic boss Dave Penney’s options in defence, with Reuben Hazell set to return after serving his one-match suspension last week.

Also incoming on the same day, on a similar one-month deal, was Huddersfield Town midfielder Jim Goodwin.

Born in Waterford, the 28-year-old started his professional career at Celtic before playing more than 100 games for Stockport County.

From there he went to Scunthorpe United for three years, ending in 2008 when he was snapped up on a three-year deal by Huddersfield Town after being released.

Of the other players currently on loan at Athletic, Alex Marrow is staying with the club until the end of the season from Blackburn Rovers.