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Bishop fear

Dave Lawrenson
28/ 8/2008

BURY manager Alan Knill admits that he will be a nervous wreck over the next few days, fearing that a higher league club will poach his star striker Andy Bishop.

As the Advertiser went to press last night, Wednesday, August 27, Knill reported that no one had come in for the prolific marksman.

But with ‘a few clubs’ having declared their interest in signing Bishop earlier this summer, Knill says that he will be on tenterhooks until the transfer window slams shut at the end of Sunday, August 31.

Knill said: "I hope that no one comes in for Andy. We have made a great start to the season and I don’t want the upset and disruption that losing Andy or any of our other key players would cause.

"No one has come in for him yet but there are always rumours flying around and a few clubs did make offers for him earlier in the summer.

"No one matched our valuation of the player and the offers didn’t come from particularly strong clubs anyway. But I do fear a bigger club coming in with a big offer. And it would have to be a big offer as the board would not let him go on the cheap.

"The board have been really strong. But there is always the chance of them being made an offer that they can’t refuse.

"Andy is happy here though. He wants to have a good season for us and take it from there. If he does well for us then he will eventually get a move to the sort of club that he deserves to be at."

Bishop is again expected to partner Andy Morrell up front in Bury’s eagerly awaited derby clash at mid-table Rochdale on Saturday, August 30, kick-off 3pm. The Shakers, who are joint top of the League Two table, report a clean bill of health on the injury front and they go into the game brimming with confidence.

Knill said: "We have to keep our good form going and the players and I are confident that we can do that.

"We know that Rochdale are a good side but so are we. We have no fear going there or anywhere else.

"I am sure that our fans will turn out in force as the Rochdale game is always the big one for them.

"They will cheer us on like they always do and I am looking forward to the game. I really enjoyed our last game with Rochdale. That was a highly entertaining encounter and I can see Saturday’s match being the same."

Meanwhile, Knill is still hoping to cap off his 2008/09 squad by signing a young striker on loan.

He said: "We are still looking but it would only be a loan deal as we don’t have the money to buy anyone before the transfer window closes.

"We have made enquiries about three or four young strikers but we are not close to getting any of those."