Athletic tell-tales go public

DEAN Furman and captain Reuben Hazell spilled the beans on their team-mates' hidden habits earlier this week.

Appearing on the BBC Late Kick-Off programme, among the secrets revealed was that Chris Taylor is the squad's worst dressed man, Warren Feeney has the dodgiest taste in music and head of sports science Paul Butler is 'teacher's pet' to manager Paul Dickov.

New striker Reuben Reid was revealed as the worst trainer — leading Furman to state: "I have been playing centre-back against him in training and I think I have got a future there — even though I am only four feet tall!"


AN INEXPERIENCED Athletic under-18s line-up lost 2-0 at Walsall in the North-West Conference of the Football League Youth Alliance.
With Carl Winchester and James Tarkowski away on first-team duty, coach Tony Philliskirk fielded a team made up almost wholly of first-year scholars and schoolboys.

The reason for the loss of the second-year scholars was the following day's Lancashire FA Senior Cup tie at Manchester United's Carrington training ground.

Athletic didn't look like scoring in a tough, scrappy but even game and individual mistakes led to the conceding of a goal in either half.

Andrew Crompton's return was a boost. The forward, who has been missing for a month with a knee injury, played half of the game as he works his way back to full fitness.


ATHLETIC midfielder Dean Furman's super strike against Notts County has been nominated for the Football League goal of 2010 award.
The top 10 strikes in the Mitre Goal of the Year were unveiled on Soccer AM and viewers can vote to narrow that down to five, which will be voted on by attendees at the Football League Awards evening in March.

Fans can choose their favourite by visiting www.socceram.com