Rage Online Blog

Dirty Harry?

The latest player to join United on trial is Harry Worley. The uncompromising 6'4" centre-back left Leicester City by mutual consent earlier in the week after completing two years of a three-year contract without getting to play a first-team game for the Foxes, coincidentally Oxford's next home opponents. Worley played the final 20 minutes of United's win at Dumbarton, and is likely to start in place of fellow triallist Leigh Franks at Livingston on Tuesday night.

In his post-match interview, Chris Wilder intimated that the club may possibly offer deals to both Worley and Franks, which would cast some doubt over the injured Rhys Day's continued presence in the squad. Worley, who had a successful loan spell with Crewe Alexandra last season, would go some way towards introducing a healthy return to good solid names of the 1950s that have been conspicuous by their absence in English football recently, and Harry would combine well with Alfie Potter in that respect. In fact, Harry and Potter could form a decent combination.

Meanwhile, United's third pre-season triallist, Ryan Crockford (whose name is obviously not in this tradition) didn't travel to Scotland, but Wilder has hinted that he may take a look at him in the Leicester game. Present at the Dumbarton game was United's former Rangers loanee Ross Perry, but it appears that despite Wilder's best efforts he is too highly thought of at Ibrox to be allowed to leave on loan again.

Labels: Crockford, Dumbarton, Franks, Perry, Potter, Worley

Is it that time already?

Well, it's been almost five years since our last blog post, which could be some sort of a record. Put it down to despondency at having to suffer the non-league (although the real reason is probably a combination of laziness and forgetfulness). So here we are, ready to blog again to celebrate a new division, a new kit, a new kit sponsor, and lots of new players. Who knows, we might even post again in less than five years.

There are a few things we can regale you with, but we'll start with last night's 6-2 win at Didcot Town in this season's first pre-season friendly. On show for United, in addition to the plethora of new signings, were two triallists, neither of whom has a page on Wikipedia. Leigh Franks is a tall centre back released recently by Huddersfield Town. He joined the Terriers' Academy from Bridlington Town and had a spell on loan last season at Fleetwood Town. The other triallist, Ryan Crockford, a Wales under-17 international, has a slightly more colourful past, having been on Reading's books, who he joined from Crystal Palace, and spending some time on loan at Aldershot Town. He has recently signed for Hungerford Town. However, two years ago he was sent to jail for four years for a rather nasty stabbing incident, and has recently been released on licence. Not being judgemental, all we will say is that he had a good game and scored a cracking 30-yard goal.

Elsewhere, United's leading scorer for the past two seasons, James Constable, has been honoured by his home town of Malmesbury for being a sporting hero. Obviously, sporting heroes are fairly light on the ground in that part of Wiltshire.

Former Us doing stuff include Joe Burnell, who has signed for Conference new boys Bath City, Steve Basham, who has joined the growing throng of ex-Us at Brackley Town, and Julian Alsop, who has rejoined Bishops Cleeve. Meanwhile, Paul Simpson has been named as manager of Fourth Division basket cases Stockport County, Craig Davies has signed for Division Four rivals Chesterfield, and Port Vale's Lewis Haldane has had to go to hospital after his ankle swelled up following an insect bite during training. Apparently Vale train somewhere in Amazonia.

Labels: Alsop, Amazonia, Basham, Burnell, Constable, Crockford, Davies, Didcot, Franks, Haldane, Simpson