It’s all change yet again on the Rotherham ticket front!

After telling us that we would only get 1000 tickets for the opening day fixture at Rotherscum, the Yorkshire Police reducing that even more, for some reason, comes today’s bombshell.

Yes, they’re giving us 2,300 after all - and you can pay on the day! Sometimes, you can but just wonder.

Walsall have agreed a one year contract with Brazilian trialist Ruben Dario Larossa, after he scored two goals in three games pre season, except he turns out, according to the official site, to be Argentinian!

The 25 year old forward will now be waiting for International clearance before being able to play, but this should not carry the same problems as the procedure did with Junior, as Larossa has an Italian passport.

The player formerly was with Uruguayan top flight side Danubio FC.

The Shropshire Star was reporting last night that Walsall have taken a mystery goalkeeper on trial.

The paper says that we have taken a “Remi Gilmartin” on trial, but have given him permission to play in a pre-season game for Telford United at Nuneaton tomorrow night, to give us a better chance of seeing him in action.

The player is, presumably, 19 year old Rene Gilmartin, with his name mis-spelled by the paper, as we cannot find any tract of a “Remi”.

Rene Gilmartin described himself on his internet CV in January this year thus:

“I am currently playing in the most highly rated schoolboy leagues in Ireland. My prefered (sic) position is goalkeeping where i have had trials with clubs such as West Bromich (sic) Albion in the english premier league, Preston North End, Cambridge Utd, Carlisle Utd and Cambridge City. I have represented my country and am currently playing for the league representitive (sic) team. I coach 2 teams, one is an under 12 rep side and the other is a club side. I am currently in the process of obtaining my uefa level b cert. I am in my last year of high school and next year I am doing a course to hopefully get me a scholarship to a college in the states. A number of higly rated references can be obtained on demand.”

He plays for St Kevins Boys Club, who have a link up with West Bromwich Albion.

The Express and Star has confirmed that we have been showing an interest in signing Gillingham’s ex Walsall and Villa man (and star of the play-off final) Darren Byfield.

There have been plenty of rumours on the message boards recently that there was a possibilty of getting the speedy striker, as his services were no longer required by Gillingham, due to their current fianancial plight.

The Star is saying today, however, that despite Merson being interested in him, that Gillingham cannot afford to let any more players go and, therefore, will not be playing ball.

Since the ticket details for the Rotherham game were released this morning, the Yorkshire constabulary have taken a hand and reduced the allocation even more.

After originally giving us 1000, the allocation has now been reduced to a mere 600. The arrangements for their sale will be the same as outlined in the original article below, other than the number allowed for each voucher being reduced to ONE only.

The numbers were reduced in the first place because of reconstruction work, as they aren’t even due to start the demolition of their old stand until the 25th July.

We had already been told that there would be an allocation of only 1,000 tickets for away fans at the Rotherham game, due to building work at Millmoor (not before time).

The details of sale have now been released:

Tickets will be on sale from the Bescot Stadium Ticket Office and The Football Shop in Walsall Town Centre, to season-ticket holders only who can produceVoucher A, as from Monday, 18th July. There will also be a limit of two tickets per booklet.

Any tickets remaining will be available on sale as from Monday, July 25th.

Prices are £15.00 (adults) and £9.00 concessions.

If any tickets remain unsold, they will be available on the day when all prices will increase by £2.00.

The club has taken the step of naming the ten so-called supporters issued with exclusion orders following last season’s unwanted trouble associated with the away trip to Wrexham.

Chairman Jeff Bonser has praised the police for their handling of the situation and has pledged that the names of any trouble makers this season will be printed for all to see in the match day programme. The club are also asking that, if anyone should see any of the named people at the ground, the matter should be reported immediately to the Authorities.

The ten names can be found on the official site on:-

http://www.saddlers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/NewsDetail/
0,,10428~680270,00.html

Paul Merson has told the Express and Star that, as predicted on the message boards here a couple of weeks ago, the chances of signing Andrew Surman from Southampton on a long term loan have all but disappeared.

Surman has been taken on Southampton’s pre season tour of Scotland, as a member of the first team squad, and scored te opening goal last nigh on his debut.

Merson has now turned his attention to Birmingham City youngster Neil Kilkenny. The diminutive (5 foot 8 inch) midfielder is an England under 19 international and moved to St Andrews in 2004, refusing a number of other clubs in the process, and has spent some time on loan at Oldham.

Paul Merson has said that he is so desperate to sign former Irish International defender Steve Staunton, that he is prepared to sacrifice a couple of other players to get him.

The rumours has been that Merson had already made one attempt to sign the former Liverpool and Aston Villa man as player-coach, but that negotations had broken down due to Staunton’s wage demands. This has now been confirmed by Merson himself:

“It’s a difficult situation. I spoke to Steve at the weekend and he is still very interested in coming. We are talking about a top, top international player here with experience and a presence in the dressing room. I would love to get him.
He knows what kind of money I have to offer here and that is not a problem.
But there are other clubs interested in ‘Stan’ and the fact is that, in order to finance his deal, we would have to lose players.”

This piece of news has come as a surprise to Saddlers’ fans, as, with the team already having four centre halves and two left backs (albeit inexperienced), there did not seem to be any room for Staunton in the squad. Despite having expressed an interest in going into management, the player also has not yet got any coaching qualifications.

Now Merson has said that he is prepared to let players go in order to finance a deal for Staunton, which comes as a disappointment to many fans, as they see the squad needing to be strengthened up front and on the left wing, especially with the none appearance of Andrew Surman. He has been included in Southampton’s first team squad for their pre season tour of Scotland, and scored the opener in their 2 - 1 win last night, so he would seem to form part of Harry Redknapp’s plans for the coming season.

Following Julian Joachim deciding to go to Boston earlier this week, the Summer has suddenly turned a little sour.

The Medway Messenger is reporting that Walsall have shown an interest in signing out-of-contract Gillingham club captain Paul Smith.

The 33 year old defensive midfielder, four times fans’ player of the season, with 393 appearances, has turned down an offer of a new contract at the Kent side, as it would have meant a huge cut from his previous salary. Swindon are named as favourites to sign the player, but Walsall, Sheffield Wednesday, Southend and Orient are also said to be interested.

Quite where any aquisition of Smith would fit into Merson’s plans is difficult to say, as striker is still the critical position. On that front, the Express and Star is carrying the story from the message boards here and on TSFC and the Evening Mail the other night, that one of the current trialists is Brazilian Ruben Dario Larossa.