Accrington Stanley boss sorry for points-hit rivals

5:10pm Friday 8th August 2008

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THE new season brings new hope – and Accrington Stanley boss John Coleman has admitted he can’t wait for Saturday to come.

With every pundit in the land tipping Stanley for the drop – despite a number of clubs having been docked points - the Reds are keen to prove the so-called experts wrong.

First up for Stanley is the visit of former Conference foes Aldershot after a very busy sumemr, which has seen Coleman wheel and deal in the transfer market.

And the Reds supremo is full of pre-season promise.

He said: “I hope we can hit the ground running. If I knew that we could, I’d sleep well tonight.

“You hope that we take everything on board that we’ve tried to do and it comes right for Saturday.

“I know what my team’s going to be for tomorrow. You never say never but I’ve got a fair idea of what I’m going to go with.

“The Aldershot team has changed a lot from the last time we played them.

“They’ll be coming here full of confidence and it will be a good test for us, but every team we play, we’ve got to play them at some time, so what we have to do is concern ourselves with how we approach the game and get it right, and I’m sure we will.

“The excitement’s building now and I can’t wait for it.

“Home games on the first game of the season don’t happen a lot. The last time it did I think we won the league!”

But while Coleman goes into the season in the knowledge that safety is virtually guaranteed with Luton, Rotherham and Bournemouth all carrying points penalties, the Reds boss has some sympathy with the affected clubs.

He said: “You feel for the players and the fans and the management, because a lot of that’s out of their hands – certainly the playing side of the management.

“But there are strict rules in place that have to be adhered to.

“The other people you feel sorry for when any business goes into administration are the people who don’t get paid what they’re owed.

“Money’s been tight at our place but we haven’t gone into administration so we haven’t written any debts off. That consequently means you don’t spend as much on the playing side as what you’d like to.

“We had a document through the other week and I think over 50 clubs who have been the Football League have been in administration at some time, which is a lot of clubs.

“So maybe the ones who are at the back end of it now, taking points deductions, probably feel aggrieved because people have got away with it in the past.

“But I think the people who make decisions have decided that the only way to really clamp down on it is to take points off teams.

“I know if it was my situation I’d be licking my wounds now.

“But I’m sure they’ll get on with it.

“They are big clubs and I think they’re capable of overcoming any points deduction.

“You feel lucky in the sense that, as a club, we’ve grown maybe a bit too quickly for our own liking, but we’ve got a chairman who works really hard to try to balance the books and won’t over-commit himself.

“I think if anything, last season the drop in gates was a wake-up call for everybody.”