England manager Kevin Keegan has told Richard Wright that he must be playing Premiership football next season if he is to take his England career any further. Keegan was speaking prior to the England U21s play-off with Yugoslavia tomorrow in Barcelona (KO 6pm) which Wright is likely to start. If Town fail to win promotion Wright is now almost guaranteed to leave Portman Road in the close season with his price-tag the only question left to be answered. Over the years virtually all the top clubs have been rumoured to have an interest in Wright, who made his debut back in Town's days in the Premiership. Town have also been linked with keepers this season, most notably Shay Given, others mantioned include Barnet's Lee Harrison. Wright, who hopes to be part of the full squad for the European Championships in the summer, will have one year left on his current Town contract at the end of this season and Town will want to cash-in prior to his being available on a possible Bosman at the end of the 2001/2 season.
With Crystal Palace's situation looking ever more desperate and at least one newspaper suggesting that our fixture with them could be the last before liquidation, we thought we'd check out their results against Barnsley, Manchester City and ourselves. Should they go out of business prior to the end of the season their results will be expunged causing a few changes at the top. Town gained one point from their game at Selhurst Park earlier this season, whilst Barnsley won away and lost at home and thus gained three points. Manchester City have taken four points from one win and a draw. The upshot is that should Palace go out of business today our position will be strengthened, not that there is any suggestion that this won't happen for a couple of weeks yet, if it does at all.
Town's goalscoring loanee Martijn Reuser is being valued at £5 million in some quarters today. The Ajax/Vitesse Arnhem player is highly rated by fans of the Amsterdam club. An email from a Dutch-based Town this morning said: "This guy is a serious hero to lots of Ajax fans who cannot believe he doesn't get on the pitch when they are playing shite (almost every week currently). We'd never be able to afford him - perversely, if he performs well enough for us to want to keep him, the big spenders will have seen this on the box and step in with bids far higher." If he does live up to this billing and Town are promoted the only way we might be able to afford him is if Richard Wright is sold.
Geraint Williams has retired from playing at the age of 38. The Colchester Player/Coach was at Town between 1992 and 1998 and suffered a knee injury at the end of last season from which he has never recoverd. With Colchester safely in the Second Division for next season his position of coach and that of manager Steve Whitton seem assured.