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Search forBraintree Town to snap up Football League striker
Thursday, August 07, 2008, 08:53
The 33-year-old has stepped down to part-time football and after talks with Patterson he has verbally agreed to join the Iron and is expected at Cressing Road tonight (Thursday) to put pen to paper.
"It will be a tremendous signing for the club because he has a proven track record of scoring goals at every Football League club he has played at," said Patterson. "I'm not revealing his name until he's actually signed but I think everyone will know of him once his name is revealed.
"But I've spoken to him, explained what our ambitions are and how we are going about it and he says he wants to join us.
"The lack of scoring goals last season was a problem but if he does sign and joins other new forwards like Gareth Williams we'll have no problems in that department."
The Iron kick-off their Blue Square South season with a home game against Dorchester Town on Saturday and Patterson expects to have his new striker at least starting on the substitutes bench.
"I know what my starting line-up will be although we have injury concerns with both full-backs Billy Burgess and Mark Jones," Patterson continued. "Williams is also suffering from a dead leg and Wayne Sullivan is still recovering from an injury sustained at work.
"But we'll have a roll call to see who will make the starting line-up and the substitutes' bench," Patterson continued. "But all the players are raring to go and we want to make a positive start and with the players we've brought in we've gone for quality rather than quantity."
The one player definitely out of Saturday's opener is Andy Porter who is suspended while Robbie Martin is still injured.
Although reluctant to make any predictions, promises or set any specific targets for the coming season, Patterson said his own expectations were high and clearly a play-off place like last season was at least his aim.
The Iron will operate with a basic 17-man first team squad this season and he added: "We've now got quality throughout, competition for places and players who want to play for the club and be successful.
"I'm a winner and I want us all to be a winner. The proof at the end of the day is in results and that's what I'll be judged on.
"I think once we are 10 games into the season we'll have a fair idea of how it will go and I think this league this season will be much closer and contrary to some people I don't think it will be a two horse race like last season."
The Iron players, who go to Welling United on Tuesday for their second league game, have also been warned over their conduct this season.
"We explained the new Respect initiative from the Football Association to them on Tuesday and made it plain that any petulance or silly bookings would also be dealt internally by the club," he said. "Whilst I agree with anything to cut out some of the abuse in the game I think the FA administrators have gone too far with some of their proposals at our level and it will cause some controversy.
"At Conference League level a booking costs a player £8 and for a red card it's £20 so the authorities must rake in a fortune over a season and this will no doubt increase substantially this coming season. "Even for a manager we've been told we mustn't criticise any of the officials in the media."
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INJURED: Braintree Town's Billy Burgess (left) could miss the opening game against Dorchester.
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