Midsblue

How much is it by the way? I think Morais and Black will make an appearance. Do you reckon one of these three imminent signings will too?

Apparently the £100k Stockport offered for Lowe was media speculation and Stockport actually offered much less hence why it was rejected as derisory. If we received around £300k nett for Stephens and this has been pumped back in for player purchases then Lowe is well within our budget and I'm sure we'd pay for someone with a proven scoring record. I have a feeling though that Lowe is the second of his two targets as a "star" striker suggests someone playing at a higher level, is a more recognised name and will make fans go "wow" if they sign. McDonald is an option albeit on loan but are the likes of Bent or Harewood out our reach? Both are looking for clubs and both could be persuaded by PD to come and play for us on less money than they were earning at their last club. The one player I keep thinking is a strong possibility is Steve Howard at Leicester. He's played with Dickov and Taggart, knows them both well and is really good mates with Taggart, is sliding down the pecking order and even more so since the arrival of Nugent and even though Leicester could afford it, the offer os us part paying his wage whilst he's here could be a further incentive to agree a loan deal. He hasn't been prolific recently but his aerial presence woild work well with Reid or Smith or even Feeney as well as score a fair few goals himself. There's also the rumour of Varney from Halifax. PD is biding his time to get the right players in but the recent announcement by the club is frustrating and making all of us even more impatient for the club to secure the striker...even more so now that the "star" tag has been dangled in front of us and PD suggesting it would be a fantastic signing for the club.

Has anyone bought yet and can review the history of the crest tee regarding quality of tee, transfer etc? Also, is the new training tee in the shop yet? If so, what's the price of these as they look decent.

I heard the same yesterday and I also heard that we're in for Jamie Vardy from Halifax Town (from a sponsor there who understands that Dux has been keeping tabs)

I'm amazed that we don't know any of the trailists currently training with the team. Normally we have one or two fans who manage to slip through security and get to watch the team train and report back with the identities of the trialists. Could it be that each has been paid off with the new fixtures mug to keep quiet?! Surely the latest snippet on the official site suggesting that the quality of the trialists is a lot better and some have stood out would generate the rumours or confirmation of actual identities through first-hand spots?!

C'est la vie if McDonald does go elsewhere. I'm sure that PD has other irons in the fire and is fortunate to have twelve months under his belt with the strikers he's inherited or brought in himself so knows exactly what is needed to bring out the best in his striking options. I have faith in PD to sign someone effective and to ensure that we improve on last season's final position. The gamble on Feeney and Reid could well pay off this season; getting them fitter, gelling them into a team, coaching from PD and the others. Hopefully then the two question marks over PD's transfer activity will be answered. I'd much rather him bide his time than make rash decisions and sign players simply to fill out the squad. He sold the future to M'voto when Big Jean could get more money elsewhere and I'm sure he'll do the same between the sticks, in the middle and up front so we have a solid spine to the team.

Looks a lot like Jon Stewart - very talented keeper with loads of promise but got the sack by Bournemouth last season due to poor discipline and allegedly smashing up a hotel room. Started off at Swindon followed by Portsmouth and was signed by Bournemouth and given shirt #31, which is he same number in the photo.

I'd pay off Dickov, employ Stitch and give him the opportunity that Chris Moore didn't all those years ago.

Hopefully this starts the influx of signings into OL1 and hopefully that starts tomorrow as we need a shot in the arm to continue the ST sales

Once he's sold then does this signal the signing of Cody McDonald and enough funds to sign Mvoto too? Add these two to the loan deals for Amos and Parkes from Leicester and things are starting to shape up. Still think we need an extra keeper and midfielder who's good in the tackle.

Mistake on Lewi leaving IMHO and good luck to the lad. Rumour has it that he's needs a rocket up his 'aris in training but I agree that the team looked more balanced and productive with him in it. Incidentally, what's the fascination with the official site and players who have exited the club? I'm more interested in developments of players coming into the club as on one hand it's early days but on the other pre-season starts next week and we need the team gelling as early as possible so we're off and running come August. I know it's to generate hits to the site or something but in a order of priority, I'm more interested in whats coming into the club shop in way of newly branded merchandise so I can buy to wear on holiday rather than being told that someone who left us last season (or even longer ago) has signed for X. In the words of Hawksbee and Jacobs - "Who Cares?" and "What a waste of ink (or pixels or whatever on this occasion)"

Le Fondre? He's being touted in region of £650k with Cardiff sniffing around. If - and it's a massive if - he's playing in our league next season then it will be with Huddersfield, Sheff Wednesday or similar who can afford that transfer fee and wages. I'm amazed as to how many strikers we're being linked to. We're skint so we'll either secure someone on a free transfer who PD has weaved his magic and persuaded them to sign on a massive pay cut, get someone from the Prem/Championship on loan or snap up another promising lower leage striker like we did with Smith. If we sold Stephens then whatever we got would be wiped out signing Le Fondre....and that's if we bettered clubs in the Championship on wage demands, which I seriously doubt. I love all the rumours and I really hope that we sign a striker who can bag us 20 goals at least. I have my doubts with our budget constraints but with PD we have the greatest chance of pulling off a surprise.

PD quotes in the Chron today relating to transfer dealings - “We are speaking to quite a few players at the moment and we are getting good vibes back” “It is just a case of getting deals done. “But there is no rush. We will speak to people and make sure we get the right players in. “We must be doing something good, because players want to come here. “Word must be out that we are a good club to come to. I have got players and agents calling me up all the time.” It's refreshing to have someone like Dickov who is able to sell the club and we can hopefully make the most of our limited budget. Makes a massive change to the negativity from his predecessors moaning that players are holding us to ransom. If we can't sell the club to a player then their only motivation is money but if you have a manager who's passion, ambition and positive mental attitude really sells the club to a target then irrespective of how much we can offer, one or two can be convinced if they can develop under PD's direction.

Agreed. Until we get that photo on the OS of PS signing the contract, in front of that picture in the boardroom with AH's arm draped across him then we should now put the story to bed and focus on players who can realistically play for us next season. Sol Campbell anyone?!

Tom Cruise from Arsenal....and we can get his best friend Beckham to play for us too

How many goals would be concede via free-kicks, penalties and playing with 10 from the 2nd minute every fourth game?

That's what I actually thought when leaving the shop. Visually has come up with some decent designs and their creativty in a more formal capacity with the club could provide a fresh approach and generate some income for the club. We all debated the possibility of the Spall/Lees shirt design being resurrected for release to those who fancy the more retro look than the current offerings and pay a premium to boot for decent quality. Surely we hold some form of rights to this template and can consult with Spall (if they still exist). Unsure what the more local of you think but I'm sure that there is loads of mileage in providing tees with our new club crest to local schools, junior football clubs etc to build links, generate the next generation of fans and get them supporting their local club rather than a Premier club just down the road. There's load of junior clubs down here wearing colours/templates of league clubs and there is a strategy in place to get the players, friends, parents and guardians of those clubs through the turnstiles with incentives (cup competition on pitch at half-time/weekdays, reduced group bookings, profit share into that junior club) that has generated income, increased attendances and safe-guarded the next generation as those kids have caught the bug of supporting a lower league club and are able to meet their "heroes" rather than in a magazine, on TV, on a poster. In answer to the comment why I didn't ask why the shop was barren. When I went in there was a lad serving (I think he was a youth player) and he was extremely friendly and attentive to what I needed even though the club shop had run out of bags (I kid you not) and I had to carry out the stuff under my arm. However he was not the correct person to ask. Do we still have a Marketing Manager or does it all go via Alan?

He was at BP yesterday and looked all smiles when leaving and getting into his car. Unless he's lined up another deal elsewhere and delivered the bombshell to PD, looks like his contract is sorted. Just on a separate note - the Latics shop is extremely bare and paints a really negative picture about the club....depressing is the word that springs to mind! Unsure if we're getting new merchandise delivered with the new badge but I thought restocking with next season's training gear would appear around now when people are renewing and collecting STs or buying the new away shirt. Majority of other clubs at our level have this cracked with a decent selection of training gear available pre-season, especially training tops, tees and vests as fans buy to take on holiday. Looked more like a closing-down sale and not the heartbeat of the off-field income generation. Surely a cut-price tee with the new embroidered club crest in a selection of colours to align with local kids football teams (or alignment with local school PE and football teams) is the key to securing the next generation of fans. Wear the crest with pride and secure the kids wearing our colours rather than those slightly further afield?! It's OK for me to comment down here but taking other lower league clubs in the midlands area, they are all over the kids to entice them away from your Villa, B'ham City, Wolves etc.

Both names had a successful 2010/11 regarding scoring records so both will be in demand from other clubs with some above us and most probably with a greater budget to offer wages. If we pull off either as a signing then it will be superb but it then questions are we putting a large slice of our budget into one player that will then impact on strengthening at the back, between the sticks and on the flanks? Interesting times ahead with us possibly spending the Smalley, Stephens and even Taylor income. It's just so frustrating at the moment as those in the football world are on holiday and we're all stuck here tapping F5 like a woodpecker on speed!

Sorry, forgot him. Hughes was more recent and I have fond memories of the Beckett period...probably more to do with that decent Carlotti shirt for our anniversary. My memory isn't as good as it used to be!

If it is McDonald then I hope we haven't screwed up again by announcing this early. This lad looks superb - pace, control, finishing. Can he be the one to break the curse of Oldham Athletic being the striker's graveyard? We've been crying out for a finisher since Hughes and before him Beckett. Gravy

And your point is? I'm not questioning whether he is a Latics fan or not BUT asking whether our club has approached Scholes to see if he would sign for us knowing that he was approaching retirement for Man United.

Could the club officials finally put this one to bed once and for all - 1. Have we ever approached Paul Scholes asking him to play for us? 2. If not then why not? 3. If yes then obviously it didn't appeal to him for whatever reason and he's doing his but by paying through the turnstiles for him, his dad and his kids and we can finally - and I mean finally - move on! The "did we or didn't we" will eat away at some as infinitum until the truth is out. Come on Barry, spill the beans

Representatives for a well-known Premier League footballer have successfully applied for a super-injunction to hide his identity following latest allegations that he had been caught playing away. Alledgedly the footballer had publicly been associated with MUFC but has been caught on a number of occasions entering OAFC in pursuit of pleasure. With the risk of this allegation becoming public, the footballer in question was forced to keep his activities private to protect MUFC's profile. Last week in parliament there were calls for this latest injunction to be quashed and for the public to know who the footballer was in question as well as his alleged activities. One senior MP claimed that it was about time that activities of this nature were made public and that such high-profile footballers shouldn't be afraid to make such activties public rather than activitives of this nature being regarded as a dirty little secret. A close friend of the footballer in question claimed that quashing the injunction could be the best for all parties concerned. SC confirmed "PS should be allowed to conduct such activities without feelings of embarrassment or guilt. If the public knew then this could allow PS to finally break free and divulge in such activities with a clear conscience. Who knows; perhaps PS may make a clean break and a public announcement would allow him to move in with OAFC on a more permanent basis and bring a smile not only to his own face but to others too". With internet messageboards naming the player in question, it won't be long before this latest injunction is quashed.

I've heard this afternoon that we've approached Nardiello who's out of contract at Exeter