A DESPERATE situation demands desperate measures and that is what happened at Milkwall this week. On Monday manager Andy Bowkett announced the club had signed seven new players.
"We are determined to stay in the Premier Division and if that means we have to bring in some new blood then that is what we will do," says Bowkett.
Commenting after another disappointing performance against Staunton and Corse on Saturday, Bowkett said the new players would bring the team added experience.
"One has played County League football and the others have played in the Northern Senior League and the Welsh League," he says.
One place off the foot of the Premier League, Milkwall have a fight on their hands to avoid the drop.
"This is a great club with a lot going for it. Forget the results for a moment, there is plenty of team spirit here but we have been very unlucky with injuries. Lots of results have gone against us in games which could have gone either way, for instance we were beaten 7 - 5 over two legs in the J O Roberts Cup semi-final and also lost in the semi-final of the Intermediate County Cup," says Bowkett.
He adds that the club has a backlog of fixtures and some interesting games in prospect as the season is set for a dramatic finish.
The teams they have to play include Coleford, Mushet, Broadwell and Ellwood – all clubs within a stone's throw!
A bright start and a goal by Joe Clarke gave Milkwall a good start on Saturday, But the scores were level by half-time and though Clarke managed a second-half strike it was not enough to deny a young and skilful Staunton team.
Despite the defeat Bowkett remains upbeat. "Come back in four weeks, I reckon we will be safe by then. We have some promising young players like Lee Roberts and Tommy Tomlins and with the players we have brought in I'm sure things will change," he says.