Archived News from September 2004
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HASLAM INTERVIEW
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WE'RE IN FORM, SAYS HASLAM
Eveing Post, MARK ROACH, 03 September 2004 Stags chairman Keith Haslam says Mansfield Town are in excellent shape both on and off the pitch. The club announced losses of £82,921 for the year ending June 30, 2003 at their annual meeting. "The club was in a precarious position when I took over, with a £1.6m debt and a run-down stand - we've got a nice stand now and no debts," said Haslam. "But there's no room for complacency and we've got to move forward. We spent another £300,000 on the stadium in the summer and it was all within budget." Haslam added: "We've got a strong base to build and develop from, but we want another 2,000 to 3,000 supporters. "We've got a catchment area of 400,000 and if we get bigger attendances we can afford to pay more for players. "The most important thing is to build year on year." The chairman has been encouraged by performances so far this season and remains hopeful that the Stags can go up automatically this time. "We had a magnificent day in Cardiff in May, apart from the result. I was proud of the team, but I don't want to go through that again. "It was frustrating last year. Many people thought we were the best side in the division. "We want to go one better this time - but the minimum requirement is the play-offs. "We've matched everybody we've played so far and we were outstanding against Yeovil." Discussions have been continuing with Ashfield District Council over a proposed training ground, but the issue of community use continues to be a sticking point. Stags centre back Luke Dimech has won another call-up for Malta. The defender is in an 18-man squad for tomorrow's 2006 World Cup Group Eight opener against Sweden at Malta's Ta' Qali stadium. Dimech has been limited to one appearance as a non-playing substitute for Stags this season. |
Latest | September 2004