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Archived News from July 2012

STAGS SIGN JAKE SPEIGHT AGAIN
10th July 2012 11:17


Wed 04 Jul 2012
video interview with Jake Speight --->
http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2832425,00.html


Speight signs from Wrexham
mansfieldtown.net, Wed 04 Jul 2012

Striker Jake Speight has returned to the One Call Stadium after agreeing personal terms with us this afternoon.

http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2832406,00.html

The 26-year-old old has signed from Wrexham for an undisclosed fee and becomes the ninth new player to be signed by manager Paul Cox since the end of last season.

Since his stay with us in season 2009-10, where he scored 17 goals, the ex-Sheffield United trainee found the net on four occasions in 18 appearances for Bradford and bagged 24 goals for Wrexham last season.

"By signing Jake, we have brought to the club a proven goalscorer at this level. Last season at Wrexham, he scored 24 goals in all competitions on the left of a three-man attack and will be aiming to better that record next season.

"He comes to us with a strong mindset and high ambition," he added

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3 July 2012
VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH PAUL COX --->
http://www.mansfieldtown.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10325~2831097,00.html
Summary:
Stags in talks over Jake Speight.
Lee Hughes could be a potential target but no enquiry has been made.
Cox also in talks with John Dempster.
Martin Riley failed to respond to contract offer within 28 days so Stags are looking at other defensive options, though Riley re-signing is not ruled out.

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Striker Jake Speight can't wait to get started at Stags
chad.co.uk, Friday 6 July 2012

PROLIFIC striker Jake Speight can't wait to get started on his second spell at Mansfield Town after rejoining the club from BSBP rivals Wrexham this week.

http://www.chad.co.uk/sport/football/mansfield-town-fc/striker-jake-speight-can-t-wait-to-get-started-at-stags-1-4712293?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

The 26-year-old old signed for an undisclosed fee to become the ninth new player to be signed by manager Paul Cox since the end of last season.

Since his stay with the Stags in season 2009-10, where he scored 17 goals, the ex-Sheffield United trainee found the net on four occasions in 18 appearances for Bradford and bagged 24 goals for Wrexham last season.

Speight signed off with a hat-trick in his final game against Kidderminster and, having ended up top scorer with 17 goals, was hoping the club would offer him an improved deal for the following season.

When that was not forthcoming, he put in a transfer request and left for League football at Bradford City, the Bantams paying £25,000 for his services.

However, it all turned sour for Speight at that point after he ended up in jail before the new season kicked-off when he pleaded guilty to assault charges on his girlfriend of the time, with neither Stags nor Bradford aware of the impending case.

Speight was sentenced to three months inside but appealed against his sentence a week later and was released from prison.

A Crown Court judge ordered his sentence to be suspended for 18 months and that Speight conduct 100 hours of community work.

Since then Speight has begun his football rehabilitation at Wrexham where he finished the sixth top scorer in the Blue Square Bet Premier last term, and want to put his troubled past behind him.

“There are two sides to every story but I won't get caught up in all that now,” he said.

“I have a young family now and I am both settled and happy. All that is completely behind me.

“I enjoyed my time here before. I always work hard and have added a few bits to my all-round game since my last spell here.

“Before signing, I spoke to Robbo (Gary Roberts) and couldn't get him off the phone – he kept telling me how good it was.

“I kept hearing good things about the club and wanted to come back. I was interested in the ambition of the club and getting promoted next season.”

Manager Paul Cox said: “By signing Jake, we have brought to the club a proven goalscorer at this level.

“Last season at Wrexham, he scored 24 goals in all competitions on the left of a three-man attack and will be aiming to better that record next season.

“He comes to us with a strong mindset and high ambition,” he added

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Jake Speight set to return to Mansfield Town
Wednesday, July 04, 2012 Nottingham Post

MANSFIELD Town are set to re-sign forward Jake Speight.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/story-16480431-detail/story.html

The 26-year-old scored 17 league goals for the Stags in the 2009/10 season, a year in which he started 15 matches and came off the bench a further 17 times.

He then moved to Bradford City in a £25,000 move before playing for Wrexham last season, where he bagged 21 goals in 43 appearances to help them finish second in the Blue Square Bet Premier.

Manager Paul Cox was speaking to the player in north Nottinghamshire yesterday, as Mansfield spoke to their Welsh counterparts to strike a deal.

And Cox said although he had discussed the idea of trying to bring veteran Notts County striker Lee Hughes to the One Call Stadium, that was as far as it had gone, with the Stags making no firm enquiry.

The Stags hope to wrap up the deal for Speight today.

Cox is also looking to sign two more central defenders, with talks on-going with four players, including Martin Riley and John Dempster.

Striker Matt Rhead will be full-time next season, after quitting his job at Toyota. The squad reported back for the first day of pre-season yesterday

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I had to leave Wrexham FC for my family says Jake Speight
by Rob Griffiths, DPW West, Jul 5 2012
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport-news/wrexham-fc/2012/07/05/55578-31327335/

JAKE SPEIGHT insists his move from Wrexham to Blue Square Bet Premier rivals Mansfield Town was purely for family reasons, and has hit back at claims he put in a transfer request.

Speight yesterday completed his move to the Stags for an undisclosed fee, claiming the five-hour round commute from Sheffield to North Wales was putting a strain on his family life.

The Dragons' leading scorer last season with 21 goals had asked to leave the Racecourse club at Christmas, but claims he was persuaded by Wrexham player-manager Andy Morrell to stay on until the summer, when he could then leave.

Speight, who left Mansfield to join Bradford City in June 2010, believes Wrexham had “moved the goalposts a little” over the past few weeks as he sought a departure from the club.

“I think people are getting the wrong ideas,” said Speight last night.

“One thing is that I handed in a transfer request – that is a complete lie. I asked back at Christmas if I could leave and I was asked to see out the season and I could go then, but then now it's the summer I've only just been allowed to sort this out.

“I'm going back to Mansfield. I know Mozza (Morrell) isn't happy and a few other people won't be happy, but at the end of the day my family comes first and that's the priority for me.”

He added: “I'm not here to slag the club off, or say anything. They have tried to accommodate me as best as they can, but at the end of the day my family comes first before football and anything else.

“I don't think the fans can have too many qualms about the move. Maybe a few will say I could have gone elsewhere, but it's one of them things.

“My little boy was five weeks old when I signed at Wrexham.

“He was my first baby and I didn't realise how hard it was going to be, having a baby and being that far away.

“It wasn't just a case of jumping in the car and being close if anything was to go wrong, and it was taking its toll on my family life.

“I was having to leave it all down to my missus but that's not what I am all about.

“I did ask at Christmas if I could move because it was getting a little bit difficult then. I wasn't spending enough time with my family and I had commitments at home.

“I asked if I could move and Andy asked me if I would stay on until the summer and I did that, and scored a lot of goals for the club.

“I think it was 11 since Christmas and I scored 21 in 38 games, so no-one can ever say I didn't do my best for Wrexham when I was there.

“Andy said he would let me go in the summer so I've gone back and said that to my missus that we would be all right in the summer, and then I spoke to him recently and it seems like he has tried to move the goalposts a little bit and keep me on.

“I can understand they have their reasons, but I was told I could go in the summer. I had to really – my family comes first and it should do for anyone.”

Despite the strains put on his family, Speight adds he always gave 100% for Wrexham, and hopes that came through from his performances.

“It's been difficult on the family side, and if things aren't going right at home it can affect your work, but I think I've patched over those well,” said Speight.

“I always gave 100% for Wrexham when I put the shirt on, the goals I've scored speak for themselves.

“Things weren't going right at home, but whenever I put that Wrexham shirt on I always gave my all and did everything I could for the club.

“The fans were always brilliant with me and I have absolutely nothing but good things to say about the club.

“But on the other side of things I scored 21 goals in 38 games and I think that record speaks for itself, so I just don't want Mozza to put things out like I never gave back to the club, because I have.”

Speight also hopes he will get a positive reaction from Dragons fans when the sides face off in what he believes will be another promotion race next season.

And the striker also adds he has no intention of celebrating should he score when the clubs meet this season.

He said: “I think it will be a mixed reaction from the Wrexham fans, maybe a few of them will think I shouldn't have gone, but I'd like think most of them will remember that I always gave 100% when I put the shirt on.

“If they don't then that's up to them.”

And on whether he would celebrate, the striker added: “Definitely not, no. I've had no falling out with the club and I've got nothing to prove to the club or to the fans or anyone, so there is no chance I would celebrate in front of the Wrexham fans if I scored against them next season, no chance.”

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wrexhamafc.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10311~2830574,00.html
Club Statement - Jake Speight
Tue 03 Jul 2012
WREXHAM AFC can confirm that Jake Speight has requested a move closer to his Sheffield home. The former Bradford City striker feels that he is unable to continue commuting to North Wales every day and that the travelling is adversely impacting on his personal life.
The club has tried to manage the situation since last Christmas, even altering the starting time for training sessions, but it has becoming increasingly difficult for all parties concerned.
As such, an offer has now been received from a Conference club for the player's services, which is currently being considered by the Board of Directors. As a result, Jake has been told not to report for pre-season training with the rest of the squad.
Obviously the club is disappointed that such a situation has arisen, but we are actively looking to resolve the issue in the best interests of the club

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Wrexham FC reluctantly agree to sell striker Jake Speight
by Mark Currie, DPW West, Jul 4

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport-news/wrexham-fc/2012/07/04/55578-31318369/

WREXHAM are negotiating a fee for the sale of striker Jake Speight to Blue Square Bet Premier League rivals Mansfield Town after reluctantly granting the player's transfer request.

The 26-year-old, signed from Bradford City 12 months ago, was the Dragons' top marksman last season with 21 goals, but struggled with a daily commute of five hours from his Sheffield home and quickly became unsettled.

Racecourse player-manager Andy Morrell yesterday revealed that Speight had asked for a move at Christmas, but was persuaded to see out the campaign that ended with defeat in the play-offs for the second year running.

Morrell said: “We've had difficulties because he was offered things by the previous manager that I wasn't really comfortable about, with regard to days here and there because he travelled.

“He wasn't willing to move across and it was a two-and-a-half hour drive each way every day. That took its toll as I think you could probably tell from his performances. He was good in the first half and then he more or less got through to the end of the season.

“He said at Christmas he wanted to leave because he wanted to spend more time with his family and I asked him to dig in and be part of it for the rest of the season and we'd have a re-think in the summer.

“I wanted him to stay because he is a good player and we tried everything we possibly could to get him over here, to stay a couple of nights a week, but he wasn't willing to do that so we were stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“I feel we moved heaven and earth to try and keep him as happy as we could. We moved training back half an hour simply to give him a chance to get here on time. We were fining him regularly for being late because he couldn't physically get here on time. We had to change that or else he would have ended up with no money.”

“In the summer he said he didn't want to come back and I don't want people who don't want to be here, simple as that. I think he's touted himself about a bit and we've had a bid for him. That's with the board and I think we are quite close to accepting.”

Speight has followed fellow striker Mathias Pogba through the Racecourse exit door, but Morrell, who on Monday signed the experienced Brett Ormerod, will be given the Mansfield transfer fee to fund the purchase of another front man.

“I knew Speight was not going to stay because of the way he was, and Brett was my replacement, because he plays the left side,” added Morrell.

“He's a fantastic professional and I know what I'm going to get from him. I'll get no problems and we had problems with Speight. We tried to deal with them as best we could and we got through to the end of the season. It's Pogba I need to replace now, rather than Speight, because I think I've got my 20 goals-a-season man.

“We wait and see because there are lots of people being thrown at us and it's a case of picking the right one.

“We paid very little for Jake and we've just paid another fee that was due on July 1 but we've got that back and more. The money will come to me and I will put that towards getting someone else.

“Jake was well paid for doing what he was doing, so hopefully we are going to be able to get an equally good player who is going to add to our squad.”

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