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The Lion Roars Diary - July 2009
31st July Preston’s Neal Trotman is the latest defender to linked with Millwall...
...The great Christian Dailly moves to Charlton...
...Another of our favourite players, Stern John, joins palace.
30th July Peterborough’s bid for Whitbread is accepted, but manager Darren Ferguson does not want to break the club’s £3,000 wage cap and so the defender cannot agree personal terms...
...There is no confirmation of the exact figure agreed between the two clubs, although South London Press reports that Doncaster are weighing up a £700,000 bid. Half of any fee would go to liverpool as a sell-on clause.
...Nottingham Forest, Swansea and Derby are also said to be interested.
28th July Danny Senda celebrates signing a one-month contract extension with the stand-out goal as Millwall beat Dartford 4-1 in a pre-season friendly at Princes Park. Senda says, “I have the opportunity to earn myself something longer.”
...The other goals were scored by Neil Harris and a brace from Jason Price.
...16-year-old Chris Hegarty makes his debut at centre back, alongside trialist Jack Smith. Birmingham City teenage trialist Jordan Anderson is an unused subs...
...Tony Craig and Andy Frampton suffer injuries before the game and are fighting to be fit for Southampton on the first day. Jackett says, “It's funny how it's all bits and pieces in that same position and nowhere else in the squad, where we have lots of players and cover."
25th July Steve Morison returns to his old stomping ground and scores both goals in Millwall’s 2-1 win over Stevenage Borough...
...Plymouth midfielder Simon Walton, who began his career at Leeds, is the latest to be linked with Millwall.
24th July Millwall’s bid for defender Tamika Mkandawire “did not meet our valuation”, according to Orient chief executive Matthew Porter...
...Chief scout Stuart Murdoch parts company with the club.
23rd July Jackett gives Southwark News a progress check on Whitbread: “If the phone rings before the window shuts on August 31 then we will see, but until then he remains a Millwall player and he will play. Given that it has been over a week since he was put on the transfer list, it has been very quiet.”
22nd July Seventeen-year-old Chelsea striker Frank Nouble, who left Millwall as an 11-year-old, turns down arsenal and Man Utd to join west ham.
21st July A single-goal victory against Shelbourne, courtesy of a first half own goal, rounds off the Irish tour...
...Millwall are linked with Galway right winger Jay O’Shea, who almost moved to Derby for £400,000 last season.
19th July Goals from Gary Alexander, Chris Hackett, Neil Harris and Ashley Grimes handed Millwall a convincing 4-0 victory at Galway United in the first Irish tour game. Alan Dunne is tried out at centre back...
...Right back-cum-midfielder Andy Holdsworth, who has decided to leave Huddersfield, reveals he’d rather go down a division than join Millwall. He says, “I went down to Millwall and Kenny Jackett wanted to sign me, but the deal wasn't right to move myself and my girlfriend. It would be better to stay up north."
16th July Former Swindon trialist Jack Smith, a defender, features in the 1-0 behind-closed-doors friendly win against Dagenham & Redbridge...
...Ex-Lion Ben May notches five goals in Scunthorpe’s 12-0 pre-season win over Brigg Town...
17th July Kenny Jackett does his best to dampen the excitement of free agent Paul Ifill training with Millwall by stating that the club will not break its wage structure to sign him. Instead, central defenders are suddenly his top priority. Funny that...
...The Millwall boss also quells speculation that he has approached Leyton Orient for centre back Tamika Mkandawire and free agent Sam Sodje...
...Assistant manager Joe Gallen signs a new three-year contract.
15th July It never rains but it pours. Zak Whitbread is banished onto the transfer list after refusing the offer of new contract talks. It’s now a real central defensive crisis - and it’s only mid-July...
...The squad numbers are released with the glaring omission of a No 2. It’s reserved for free agent Danny Senda should be prove his fitness.
14th July Millwall’s interest in Croydon-raised winger Jason Puncheon looks unlikely to go further after he scored in Plymouth’s first pre-season game. Pilgrims manager Paul Sturrock says, “Unless somebody slaps me in the face with big money the debate will probably be on the backburner for at least until one or two of the pre-season friendlies when I can make a conscious decision.”
13th July It’s a real injury blow as Paul Robinson is declared out until early September after a training ground tumble damaged his oeprated metatarsal. Physio Bobby Bacic said: “The x-ray and two scans show that there is no break as the internal screw had done its job and held everything together.
“However we are worried that the screw has been damaged so have decided to operate to triple check there is no fracture the scan has missed.”
10th July Millwall announce that matchday admission prices will be frozen for the third successive year. Watch them all come flocking back...
...Lenny Pidgeley makes the unlikely switch to Carlisle. As fate would have it, the former Chelsea goalkeeper is in line for a Den return as a visiting player on August 15. He says, “It was one of the first things I looked for on the fixture list and I had to smile when I saw it was coming up so early. It was obviously meant to be.”
...Millwall and Charlton are said to be vying for the signature of Plymouth winger Jason Puncheon.
...It is a case of too little too late for Danny Spiller, who is back training but will not be given a new contract. The midfielder is distraught: “I thought that was hard - I had only trained for three days, which was not enough to prove my fitness. How can you assess someone after that length of time? Football is a cruel game.”
9th July Kenny Jackett tells Southwark News he is now looking for loans: "The long-term loan system is certainly an option as we go along. As the permanent window draws to an end at the end of next month, the likelihood of a long loan becomes more realistic"...
...Marc Bircham takes his first step into coaching by becoming QPR’s youth development assistant manager.
8th July Jason Price signs a one-year deal to become Kenny Jackett’s third summer signing...
...Zak Whitbread (quad) and Gary Alexander (knee) are the only two first team members unable to train during the first week back at the training ground...
...Cruciate knee ligament victim Pat O’Connor goes under the surgeon’s knife...
...Answering speculation about his future, David Martin tells South London Press: "I am happy here and as long as I am playing football that will be the case."
1st July It’s on after all. Millwall announce that August 1 will indeed be a benefit afternoon for Richard Sadlier at The Den. The opponents Middlesbrough are a much more enticing prospect than Brighton or Luton, who were both lined up earlier in the summer. Honorable mentions should go to Jeff Burnige and managing director Andy Ambler for getting the game staged.
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