Archived News from August 2013
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STAGS SIGN OLLIE PALMER
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Stags sign goal-ace Palmer
mansfieldtown.net 18:00 2nd August 2013 Mansfield Town have fought off interest from a number of clubs to capture highly-rated striker Ollie Palmer from Havant & Waterlooville for an undisclosed fee. Read more at http://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/article/stags-sign-goal-ace-palmer-964197.aspx#csffpBfqQLdJ2zHW.99 Palmer, 21, was both top scorer and 'Player of the Year' in the Conference South last term, bagging 25 goals for The Hawks, who finished mid-table. European heavyweights Chelsea are reported to have kept tabs on the youngster, who struck on 38 occasions in 62 starts for Havant & Waterlooville. The youngster also netted on 15 occasions for Havant in the 2011/12 campaign, after joining the club from Woking in September 2011. It was with Woking where Palmer started his career, as he progressed through the youth ranks and made a handful of first team appearances in the 2010/11 season. Palmer’s stunning goal-scoring exploits have seen him linked with moves to a whole host of clubs at a higher level over the past 18 months. Speaking about his new challenge, Palmer said: “I’ll ‘run myself into the ground’ and will work really hard for the team. “Mansfield have given me the opportunity to perform in the league, which is something I have always dreamt about.” --------------------- video interview with Ollie Palmer on StagsPlayer http://www.player.mansfieldtown.net/latest-news/article/3335691 ------------------- LATER STORY: EXCLUSIVE: Non-League starlet Ollie Palmer waiting for dream move to Football League with Mansfield Town to sink in Posted by Ravit Anand on August 4, 2013 at 7:15 PM Sitting in a hotel room, a day after being given his first taste of professional football, new Mansfield Town signing Ollie Palmer is waiting for his dream move to the Football League to sink in. The 21-year-old striker, signed from Skrill Conference South outfit Havant & Waterlooville for an undisclosed fee, is glad the 21-year wait and midweek trips to Cornwall to face Truro City are over. Palmer played the final 30 minutes in his recently promoted side's 2-0 away defeat to Scunthorpe United in League Two and is just as excited at the season ahead as when he found out the news: "It was unreal and I really enjoyed. I got half an hour and I only trained on Friday. "It's something I've been waiting for for so long, but for it to happen overnight the way it did is quite exciting. "It's all begining to sink in now." In the space of a day Palmer was preparing for a third season in the Conference South with Havant, where he struck 25 times in 42 games last year, to playing away at Doncaster Road and now preparing for a midweek trip to Tranmere in the League Cup: "I'm training tomorrow and preparing for Tranmere Rovers away Tuesday, which sounds weird saying it because last week I was planning for a pre-season friendly against Bognor and Bashley and now I'm preparing to play against Tranmere in League One." But it could have gone a different route though for the part-time footballer and part-time roofer, who says goodbye to 6:30am work starts and reaching home at 11pm after football for home matches. Palmer came through the youth ranks at Woking making 20 league appearances across two seasons for the Cards, scoring just twice. Combine that with unsuccesful loan spells with St Albans City and Boreham Wood, confidence could have dropped but Palmer's ambition of becoming a professional saw the tide turn dramatically with a move to Hampshire: "A lot of people's heads would have dropped when that would have happened, I was only young; only 19-20. "I knew where I wanted to be and I kept going and am very thankful to Havant & Waterlooville for giving me that opportunity to do what I did last year in the league to then get this opportunity with Mansfield in the league. "The fans were great for me and it was Shaun Gale who changed my life taking me there." Palmer made it one of several players who made the step up into the professional game from non-league, including next week's opponent and fellow Conference South striker Dave Wheeler - who joined Exeter City from Staines Town - and Palmer insists there is plenty of talent for League clubs to consider in non-league: "There's talent in non-league and that's why you see people like myself and other boys step up into the Football League because it's a fantastic stepping stone. "Being in the Conference, Conference South and Conference North is such a good stepping stone because you get treated like a professional and you're expected to act like a professional." Another player to make a further jump up the leagues is former Stags striker Matt Green who joined Championship side Birmingham City but Palmer isn't putting no pressure on himself to replacethe 26-year-old, who scored 25 times himself in the Conference Premier last year: "I'm not putting pressure on myself to go there and score 30 goals, I'm going to do what I do best. If that means I'll score another 25 goals then I'll score 25 goals or if I score 15 and create another 20 for my teammates." Not only is Palmer physically built beyond his 21 years of age, he speaks with plenty of knowledge of the game too, perhaps down to his close friend Jonjo Shelvey, who recently made the move to Wales with Swansea from Liverpool: "It's good to have a friend with that knowledge. "He's got an international cap under his belt and he gave me a few words of advice before I came up here and I've spoken to him since I played the game on Saturday and he's pleased for me. "He just wants me to do what I do best and he's not saying anything different that my parents say; which is go there, enjoy it and work hard." The former Hawks frontman is grateful for his non-league upbringing which he believes will ensure he takes and apprecaites every chance he gets, but admits the passion in non-league will be something he'll miss: "There's a lot of passion in non-league footballer and there's a lot of professionals that come down and boys wanting to come up in the professional game. "There's a lot of passion there that a lot of people do not realise because they don't follow it. " Between staying in hotel rooms, training and playing matches the ex-roofer is hunting for accomodation in Nottingham. A far cry from Westleigh Park but he would not have it any other way. Written by Ravit Anand - @RavitAnand ---------------------- A Note From Ollie Palmer http://www.havantandwaterloovillefc.co.uk/news/article/a-note-from-ollie-palmer.html Friday, August 2, 2013 Lee Bradbury, Derek Pope, fellow players, staff and fans, It is with great regret and sadness that I am leaving Havant and Waterlooville football club with immediate effect. A fantastic opportunity has arisen for me to play for Mansfield Town football club in Division Two which is an opportunity to realise my lifelong dream of playing in the football league. I want to thank all of the fans for the fantastic support and belief in me from the day I signed in October 2011. I hope you will continue to follow my progress. To Shaun Gale who first brought me to Havant and believed in me and my ability. I am also grateful to the staff behind the scenes who have supported me in reaching my dream. A special thanks to Lee Bradbury for helping me excel on the football pitch and for passing on his knowledge and experience. I hope I can take this with me to the football league. Thank you to the back room staff, the physios Phil, Claire and the Kitmen, Edge and Richie who have all gone that extra mile to help us and give us the best opportunity to perform as well as we can. Derek, you have been a great help both on and off the field. It is fantastic to have such a hands on approach from a club Chairman. You have the upmost respect of the Havant players and you are spoken of very highly, so thank you. Most of all, I must say thank you to the Havant and Waterlooville players. Our changing room holds a very special bond of players which I am regretfully leaving. I just want to thank you all so much for the opportunity you have given me through your performances and effort which has created my chance for me to play professional football. The club and "the boys" will always have a special place in my life and unforgettable memories. I wish you all the very best for the coming season and with your own football careers. Thank you. Ollie Palmer ----------------------- http://www.havantandwaterloovillefc.co.uk/news/article/ollie-palmer-off-to-mansfield-town.html Friday, August 2, 2013 Ollie Palmer has left the Club to join League Two side Mansfield Town on a two year deal. Hawks Manager Lee Bradbury explained how the transfer came about. “Mansfield Town came in for Ollie and with various other clubs also knocking on the door, we as a club felt it was the right deal for both Ollie and the club, it would have been unfair for us to stand in his way.” “As the Manager of this Club it is bitter-sweet for me to lose Ollie from the team if I am being honest. To lose someone of Ollie’s stature at this stage of the pre-season is difficult. The goals he scored and his general contribution to the team will be hard to replace. But at the same time I am very pleased for him, he is a great lad, who has worked very hard for this opportunity.” “Ollie has always dreamed of being a professional footballer and will go to Mansfield Town to continue his rise up the football ladder. He goes with the clubs full blessing and we hope it is the start of a long and distinguished career in the professional game.” Regarding possible replacements, Lee pointed out that some serious interest in Ollie had been expressed towards the latter part of last season. This meant Lee has always been aware of who has been available on the transfer market, for future signing or loan deals. “I have funds available to go out and get the right type of player/person to blend in with what we are trying to do here at the club. We have 15 days before the start of the season but obviously the sooner we can get a replacement in the better, but these things can take some time.” ------------------- Hawks striker joins Mansfield Portsmouth News by Jeff Marshman jeff.marshman@thenews.co.uk 02 August 2013 http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/hawks-striker-joins-mansfield-1-5351213 Hawks striker Ollie Palmer has joined League Two side Mansfield Town. The 21-year-old scored 25 goals last season, claiming golden boot and player-of-the-year honours at the end-of-season Conference South awards. Palmer, who joined the Hawks in September 2011, signed a new two-and-a-half year deal at West Leigh Park in March. But his exploits have helped seal a move to the Stags. Hawks manager Lee Bradbury said: ‘We are disappointed to lose Ollie at this time of the season. ‘It just got to a point where he was ready to go and play at a higher level and it was hard for us to stand in his way. ‘We have always said to him that if it was right for the club and him then we would let him go and fulfil his dream of being a professional footballer. ‘It’s bittersweet for us as a club because we are losing the best player in the division last year and our top goalscorer with 25 goals. ‘At the same time we are excited for the kid that he is going to go and do what he has always wanted to do.’ ---------------------- |
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