Dale returns
Reporter: MATTHEW CHAMBERS
Date published: 17 May 2011
DALE Stephens is back at Boundary Park... but could leave again before the start of next season.
The 21-year-old midfielder spent the final few games of the campaign on loan at Southampton, where he helped the South coast club gain automatic promotion to the npower Championship.
After joining shortly prior to the loan deadline on March 24, Stephens went on to make five starts and one substitute appearance for Saints and finished on the winning side five times.
Athletic picked up a useful loan fee for their 10-goal playmaker, who was back at the club yesterday after returning North. He remains under contract with Athletic until June, 2013.
Manager Paul Dickov rates Stephens (pictured below) highly and was strongly opposed to him linking up with Southampton in the first place.
But as one of the club’s most coveted assets Athletic could find a suitable six-figure bid for Stephens’ services difficult to turn down.
As well as Saints, whose boss Nigel Adkins remains a strong admirer, Leeds and Premier League duo Bolton and Everton are now believed to be interested in signing the player.
Dickov’s reduced budget for 2011-12 leaves little room to sign men with the sort of experience and ability so clearly missing from the line-up this term.
Bury are entitled to 20-per-cent of any fee generated by Stephens’ sale. After that, though, a significant portion will be attributed to Dickov as he goes about trying to put together a squad capable of finishing higher up the League One table than this season’s 17th place.
And cash generated by the sale of Stephens or other contracted players would help expand the circle of players available to sign on a wage that tallies with Athletic’s financial means.
“Dale is under contract and is our player,” was Athletic chief executive Alan Hardy’s reaction to the speculation surrounding Stephens.
“As we have already said, any non-budgeted income we can generate would go towards helping the manager for next season.”
ATHLETIC have confirmed this Thursday’s season ticket deadline will NOT be extended to a later date.
The deal for the cheapest tickets runs out at noon and the club are hopeful that, going by the rate of current sales, last year’s total of 1,800 bought by the same stage can be at least matched.
The 1,000 mark has already been passed — and the latest winner of Athletic's prize draw is Reverend Donald Whitehead from Shaw, who wins a free season ticket.
