Wrexham Evening Leader

Denis targets hit-man Thorpe

EXCLUSIVE By RICHARD WILLIAMS

29 December 2005

Tony Thorpe  
Real name Anthony Thorpe  
Height 5.09  
Weight 12.00  
Date of birth 10-04-1974  
Place of birth Leicester  
Position Forward  
Nationality England  
 

All time playing career

Club From To Fee League FA Cup League cup Other
Swindon 10-07-2005   Free  6 (1) 1 1 (0) 0 1 (0) 0 0 (1) 0
Rotherham 24-03-2005 24-04-2005 Loan  5 (0) 1 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
QPR 22-08-2003 10-07-2005 £ 50000  26 (15) 10 1 (1) 0 0 (0) 0 1 (2) 1
Luton 12-06-2002 22-08-2003 Free  30 (2) 15 1 (0) 1 1 (0) 1 2 (0) 2
Luton 26-11-1999 01-01-2000 Loan  3 (1) 1 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
Luton 25-03-1999 09-05-1999 Loan  7 (1) 4 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
Reading 05-02-1999 24-03-1999 Loan  6 (0) 1 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0
Bristol C 03-06-1998 12-06-2002 £ 1000000  102 (26) 51 6 (1) 3 5 (2) 4 9 (0) 4
Fulham 26-02-1998 03-06-1998 £ 800000  5 (8) 3 0 (0) 0 0 (0) 0 2 (2) 0
Luton 18-08-1992 26-02-1998 Free  93 (27) 50 4 (3) 2 6 (4) 6 5 (3) 3
Leicester 01-08-1991 18-08-1992 Junior  No appearance data available
Totals £ 1850000 283 (81) 137 13 (5) 6 13 (6) 11 19 (8) 10
  goals / game 0.37 0.33 0.57 0.37
Stats courtesy of www.soccerbase.com Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals

PROLIFIC scorer Tony Thorpe today arrived at Colliers Park for training.

The 31-year-old striker, recently released by League One strugglers Swindon Town whom he joined in the summer from Queens Park Rangers, has scored nearly 150 league and cup goals in a successful career.

Leicester-born Thorpe was also the subject of a £1 million move when he made the move to Bristol City from Fulham in the summer of 1998.

And though Wrexham manager Denis Smith was quick to stress that Thorpe - ineligible for Saturdays clash against League Two leaders Grimsby Town at The Racecourse on Saturday - was currently only training with the Reds, he is interested in the striker.

The transfer window re-opens on Monday but Smith, because Wrexham are in administration, is only allowed to operate with a squad of 20 players which he has currently filled.

DECIDE

But Robbie Foy's loan deal from Liverpool ends next month and Paul Warhurst's short-term deal also comes to an end, and Smith is keen to plug the gap in attack vacated by the loss of Lee McEvilly who could be out for up to two months with a stress fracture of the foot.

Smith now has to decide on his squad for the second half of the season.

"Tony has only arrived this morning for a few days to take a look at us and whether he likes the set-up here," Smith said today. "Tony has been around, went for £1 million earlier in his career and is a player who has always scored goals. Tony has been released by Swindon, who are obviously having problems, and has come down here.

"You have to make sure that if there is a lad out there who you know can score goals, and the record in his career is good, you have to see if you can entice him.

"At the moment I have got my squad of 20 and I have to sort that out. There are decisions to be made on Robbie and Paul. Until I know my options we'll have to wait and see "

Meanwhile, Smith was today trying to deal with another deep freeze.

Smith has already had to deal with the disappointment of seeing yesterday's derby clash against Chester City postponed because of a frozen Saunders Honda pitch, and his plans ahead of Saturday's clash with Grimsby Town have again been hampered by the weather.

The pitches at Colliers Park were covered in frost following last night's sub-zero temperatures with the Wrexham players due in for a full training session.

And Smith was hastily trying to arrange an alternative work-out this morning.

"I am trying to figure out what we are going to do," Smith said today.

"We may have to take the players running or swimming but that was not what I wanted to do. We will do some training but not what we had planned, especially after yesterday's game was called off. We need to do something because the players have missed a couple of days."

Saturday's opponents Grimsby went a point clear at the top of the table following last night's 3-0 victory over Lincoln City and Smith added: "Grimsby managed to get their game on last night, the whether must be better up there so I am sure they have got somewhere to train."

Matty Crowell will be aiming to make it three goals in three games against Grimsby on Saturday.

Midfielder Crowell has taken over the penalty duties in place of striker McEvilly and has a 100 per cent record from two attempts.

And Crowell, who struck from the spot at Carlisle on December 17 prior to his conversion against Rochdale on Boxing Day, revealed his secret when lining up his penalties.

"I enjoy taking penalties, it is always good to score and I am not going to get many other chances with the position I play. Every chance I get to take a penalty I will take it. I would be embarrassed if I did not at least hit the target from 12 yards," added Crowell.

"Against Rochdale on Monday, the goalkeeper moved early again, exactly the same situation as at Carlisle. I was going to run up and drive it down the middle, but as I run up he has moved early again so I just knocked it in the corner."