City deals are a page turner says Johnson

City boss Gary Johnson has expressed exasperation with his summer transfer dealings - likening the experience to an Agatha Christie novel.

Christie’s novels include apt titles such as Destination Unknown, The Unexpected Guest, The Secret Adversary and one Johnson will be hoping won’t be apply - And Then There Were None..

The Robin’s supremo has seen record signing Emad Meteb throw his deal into doubt with an unsanctioned appearance for his former club Al-Ahly, following on from a protracted negotiation.

And the City manager is still not able to confirm anything further on the other signatures he is chasing.

The Evening Post understands Johnson has relinquished hope of signing Nottingham Forest’s Nathan Tyson and Crewe Alexandra have slapped a £2million price tag on 21-year-old Nicky Maynard.

Johnson said: “At the moment, until they’re actually physically in front of you, I can’t tell you anything.

“There’s so many twists and turns you know. It’s like an Agatha Christie novel.”

Yesterday the Post revealed City are weighing up a move for Dele Adebola’s former Coventry City strike-partner Michael Mifsud who has handed in a transfer request. After Adebola’s performance against Yeovil on Monday, the temptation to reunite them may have increased.

Johnson was upbeat after watching his 33-year-old, 6ft 3in forward score a brace and win a penalty for Michael McIndoe to hit home a third.

He said: “It’s good for a striker to score a couple of goals. If Dele works hard like he did [against Yeovil], and he had some good balls to run onto, he gets his rewards and that’s good.

“It’s not about people who come in or who are not coming in, at the end of the day it’s about the team you are preparing on the day and he got a good 90 minutes.

“Dele looked tired after 45 but he tends to see it through and it was good because he got a couple of goals.

“There’s no value as such [in pre-season wins] because you don’t pick up any points but it’s nice for our fans to see that our team is going in the right direction from how it looked on tour.”

Adebola was obviously pleased with his performance but admitted it had nothing to do with the possible arrival of Meteb or any other strikers at the club.

He said: “Being totally honest I haven’t thought about it or any sort of competition.

“It’s a good squad, anyone is welcome in it and we’re all trying to do the same thing.

“We want to show that last season wasn’t a flash in the pan so I welcome the addition.

“It was our first 90 minutes against better opposition and I thought we stepped up a little bit, got a bit closer to what we’re looking for.

“There’s still a few games for us to get our game going properly and hopefully we’ll be ready come the start of the season.

“Pre-season games don’t really mean anything but it’s nice to get goals and to get a win and I’m happy with a good day’s work.”

Dele shows Johnson his City value

Yeovil Town 0 - 3 Bristol City

Andy Sloan at Huish Park

DELE Adebola rose to the challenge of winning a place in Bristol City's starting XI come August 9 with a towering performance against Yeovil.

The veteran forward struck twice and won a penalty, converted by Michael McIndoe, as City eased past Yeovil 3-0 at Huish Park.

City boss Gary Johnson returned to former club Yeovil looking for the Robins' first pre-season win, and it was a good day at his old office.

All three of City's former Yeovil players, McIndoe, Lee Johnson and keeper Chris Weale started for the visitors, with Adebola cutting a lone figure up front and Myrie-Williams tucking into the left side of a five-man midfield.

And the Nigerian forward gave a timely reminder to Johnson of his talents following the signing of 25-year-old Egyptian striker Emad Meteb.

The substitution of Yeovil right-back Lee Peltier in the 20th minute led to a defensive change for the hosts and confusion two minutes later when Adebola headed in the opener, connecting with a curling left-foot cross from Jamie McAllister.

His deft flick found the bottom-right corner of the net.

Weale was called into action for the first time in the 35th minute. Glovers' trialist Stephane Robinet floated a teasing ball over the head of Cole Skuse to play in Paul Warne, who tested Weale with a powerful shot, parried to safety.

Adebola was at the heart of the action after half-time, winning a penalty in the 56th minute. The 33-year-old drew a push from Terry Skiverton as he rose to meet a cross from the orange-booted McIndoe. The Yeovil fans appealed for handball from the big front man, but the referee pointed to the penalty spot.

The “Scottish player”, as McIndoe is known at Huish Park these days, stepped up and stroked the ball past another Yeovil trialist, Canadian keeper Josh Wagenaar, for City's second.

A long ball over the top with 20 minutes to go saw Adebola further enhance his standing with a strike from the edge of the box to put the result beyond doubt.

In the closing minutes Jordan Walker made his first appearance since tearing his cruciate ligament, coming on for Bradley Orr. It was just long enough for him to see Weale make a handy save from Hayden Tinto to ensure a clean sheet for City.

Johnson was impressed with the competitive nature of the game and the fitness of his players. He said: “It was a proper game and the lads had to be sharp or they got kicked.

“Our boys just got a little bit tired towards the end and it just proves they are not quite ready for the 90 yet but they are getting there."

Bristol City sign combative midfielder

Bristol City have found a unique way to add fight to their side in the future, by signing a Taekwon-Do champion.

The Robins beat off competition from Bristol Rovers and Southampton to land highly rated midfielder Theo Llewellyn, who puts new meaning in the word combative.

Theo, who has been tracked by Bristol City for the past two years, holds the English and British crowns for Taekwon-Do in the Second Kup category and styles his game on Chelsea enforcer Claude Makelele.

There's just one hitch, he's only eight years old.

Bristol City's recruitment officer, Kevin Scott, spotted Llewellyn aged six playing for a Bristol Rovers supporters' team in a summer tournament.

He has been following his progress ever since, with a view to signing him on a one-year contract (the legal maximum) at the first legal opportunity, his eighth birthday.

Theo's mother, Michele, revealed there was never any doubt who her son was going to join, despite competing offers from City's Bristol rivals and Southampton.

She said: "He chose City because it is the best academy in the country. The family are all Chelsea supporters but in Bristol we support City. He was playing for a Rovers team because it was closer to where we live."

The Bromley Heath Junior School pupil will be lining up opposite academy sides from clubs of the calibre of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham next season. But as one of 200 youngsters in the City academy his parents are well aware he is still a long way off a professional contract.

Theo's dad, John, has first-hand experience of the heartbreak of failing to make the grade. He was a promising footballer himself and trained with Leeds United from the age of 13.

But after setting his sights on a career with Leeds, the blow, at 16, of being released was enough to deter him from accepting any offers and he drifted out of the game.

"We keep Theo's feet firmly on the ground," said his mother. "He's bright and we make sure school comes first, so he'd always have something to fall back on. But we'll back him all the way with the football."

Academy manager John Clayton described Theo as an excellent prospect. He said: "He's a super little player. At this age you don't really have a position, and we try to move them around. He's that good he can play in any position.

"His passing is superb and he's very good on the ball. The main thing, given his age, is how calm he is. He's never flustered."

"It's a long way away before we decide to give professional contracts and there's a lot that can happen, girls, cars, drinking, etc. But he's one of the top-end players in his age group, has a really nice family and is a lovely lad."

Theo learns his Taekwon-Do with the North Bristol PUMA Taekwon-Do club, which holds training at Yate leisure centre. He won his British title last November and added the English one last month, but he is not the only family member to win martial arts silverware.

His sister, Ava Mary, six, recently became the Welsh champion for her category and came third at the English championships in Swindon last month.

Ronaldinho trickster visits Bristol

More than 500 children were treated to a surprise feast of footballing showmanship in Bristol from a man who has traded tricks with Brazilian star Ronaldinho.

Colin Nell, one of Europe’s best “football freestylers” (a master of juggling a football), was invited to be the surprise guest of Downend football club at their end of season prize-giving and the launch of their Africa project last Saturday.

Rival clubs can expect to face an array of stepovers and flicks after Nell gave small groups their own private coaching after performing a polished routine of tricks.

Club President Mark Ellery revealed the thinking behind bringing Nell, who has starred in a number of TV commercials alongside the likes of Ronaldinho.

He said: “Downend Saints is a relatively new club. However, we have grown significantly since 2002 and are able to offer lots of opportunities for kids from 6 to 16. We look to make the training and the football fun as well as constructive and develop kids whatever their level when they join the club.

“Our coaches are all FA accredited and the club itself has just achieved FA Charter Status. As part of our development plans we always look to improve the coaching, the opportunities for kids and all aspects of the club.”

“We are delighted to welcome one of Europe’s best football freestylers in Colin Nell. We knew he would delight and entertain the kids and parents and hopefully he has also inspired a few players as well.”

The club, which has 220 registered members, has spent the past fortnight collecting football kit in tandem with a couple of schools in the area, Emersons Green Primary and St Augustines in Downend.

All those who attended Saturday’s event were asked to dig out old shirts and unwanted football equipment which could be given a new home in Gambia thanks to new links with the Bristol Aztec Rotary Club and the Gambia Avon Fire Service in Partnership (GAFSIP).

Since 1992 GAFSIP have supplied fire and rescue equipment and fostered links with the Gambian Fire Service. This has been extended to include other equipment such as furniture for schools, educational equipment and football shirts.

The club smashed their target of 100 shirts with 178 shirts, 20 training bibs and 28 pairs of shorts being donated. Patchway FC donated a team’s worth of kit and England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008 accounted for a large number of national shirts being handed over.

Simon Russell, a coach at the club, said: “Once we learned of the work being done via GAFSIP in Gambia we were anxious to do what we could to help. We hope to have a great number of shirts and other equipment to donate.”

“We want to track where the equipment is donated and establish contact with the recipients – how that relationship might develop we do not know, but we know that, through GAFSIP, local schools and other organizations now have links with schools and other organizations in Gambia.”

For more information on GAFSIP go to: http://www.gafsip.org/. Anyone with kit to donate should email Simon on simon@swns.com.

Hale hot on Hamilton's heels

Note the date and note the name, Mitch Hale, Bristol’s very own Formula One prospect.

As Lewis Hamilton lines up on the grid at Silverstone this weekend Bristol teenager Hale will be tearing up the record books in Spain and has turned down a test ride with Ferrari to do so.

The former Clifton College pupil has his eyes set on following Hamilton’s footsteps and making the transition from an apprenticeship in karting to the giddy glamour of Formula One.

The 14-year-old privateer only took up the sport two years ago but has now turned semi-professional and is making unprecedented progress through the ranks with Italian team JRP, who he signed for earlier this year.

Speaking from Spain, Mitch said: “I want to follow Hamilton and race in F1. You need commitment and discipline and I think I’ve got that. It will take about seven years working through KF2, KF1, Formula Renault and F3 before making F1 but I know what I have to do.

“My friends know that I race but they don’t really understand. Hopefully in seven years they will be paying a bit more attention.”

Chris Walker of Karting Magazine said: “He’s doing a lot of racing internationally where all the top F1 drivers have raced in the past. He’s probably in the top 10 in the world for his age and is definitely a future F1 prospect.”

Ayrton Senna, Fernando Alonso and Hamilton all commenced their careers in the electric world of karting and in the case of Senna it was a love affair which he never truly relinquished.

The former F1 World Champion cited the best driver he had ever raced against as Barnsley-born Englishman Mike Wilson, who pipped him to the Karting World Championship six times.

Today’s F1 teams keep a watchful eye on the category and Hale has already received amorous glances from Ferrari.

Hale was asked to drive in a karting event for the Italian constructors at Silverstone this weekend but had to withdraw due to racing and testing commitments in Spain.

The Bristolian youngster, who first tasted the sport at the indoor karting track in Avonmouth, drew plaudits with a podium finish in the Spanish Open Championship last month and on July 13 competes in the European Championship qualifiers at Alcaniz in Spain ahead of the finals at Braga in Portugal on August 3.

Last year he finished 20th overall out of 150 in the finals. “This time I’d like to be at the front,” he said. “I’ve now got the car and the kit to do it.”

His agent, Adam Jones, said: “It’s as far removed from the karts you can drive on an indoor track as you can imagine. All hell breaks loose when you put your foot down. It’s very technical and very fast. Mitch is racing at well over 80mph against kids with five years experience - and beating them. You just don’t do that.”

His father, Nick, a former professional speedway racer turned successful businessman, is bankrolling Mitch’s progress.

He said: “For a privateer to be mixing it with the best in the world is phenomenal. He’s competing against guys with budgets of £200,000. You need the edge and he’s got it.

“In 18 months Hamilton wouldn’t have won anything. [Mitch’s progress] is a bit like playing county tennis and then going to Wimbledon.

“Mitch wants to live with the cars, sleep with the cars and learn as much as he can.”

Mitch spends four days a week at his team’s camp in Lake Garda, Italy, and three days with a private tutor at home in Bristol.

His father said: “It’s a frantic schedule for a 14-year-old but that is what is required for racing at the top. There’s nothing else on this earth that matters to him more. This is not a family decision, it’s his decision.”

Nick is all too aware there are only 20 places on an F1 grid and Chris Walker was also circumspect about Mitch’s statistical chances, but both were in agreement there is more to success than raw talent.

“It’s not necessarily about who wins the races,” said Nick. “It’s about the right time and the right place and the right personality for sponsorship.”
Walker said: “Mitch certainly has the determination and the family support to succeed.”

Mitch is yet to compete at Silverstone but has got to know the track on his Xbox. His tip for Sunday’s race? BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica. “It’s all about consistency,” he said.

To follow Mitch’s progress go to: www.kartlink.com.