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Man pleads guilty to an attempted burglary

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A HOMELESS man jailed for attempting to break in to a house claimed he just needed somewhere to sleep.

Krysztof Dziedzic, 42, was spotted trying to open the door of a home in Birdhurst Road, South Croydon, on November 26 year.

A neighbour called the police and when officers arrived they searched the Polish national and found a spanner and a pair of pliers.

Dziedzic, who was drunk at the time of the break-in on November 26 last year, said he was looking for somewhere to spend the night.

However, he pleaded guilty to attempted burglary when he appeared at Croydon Crown Court on Friday.

Dziedzic had previously burgled another home and been fined £100.

Judge Nicholas Ainley rejected his version of events, adding: "This was obviously a burglary. Whether you were drunk or sober, you were out in the middle of the night with a wrench and pliers, and you were trying to force the door.

"You've done the most sensible thing you could have done – which is to plead guilty."

Dziedzic was sentenced to 12 months in prison, which was halved due to his plea. He had served four months on remand.


New hopes that school may avoid a takeover

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PARENTS and teachers opposing government demands for their school to be incorporated into the Harris Federation's academy empire have been given a ray of hope following an upbeat Ofsted report.

Roke Primary School's teachers and parents were angered this month after being told by the Department for Education (DfE) its request to become part of Riddlesdown Collegiate was being refused.

However, a fresh report released by Ofsted this week after a recent inspection outlines a number of improvements since damning findings were reported on last summer.

Becky Carrier, 31, who launched the Save Roke campaign, said she hopes the DfE will now allow the school, which her eight-year-old daughter attends, to be sponsored by Riddlesdown.

She said: "It is still early days but we are headed in the right direction.

"From this new Ofsted report, it proves changes have been made and we are moving in the right direction.

"We want this to be dropped completely or if they are still intent on us becoming an academy, let us be part of Riddlesdown, as this proves the partnership we set up with Riddlesdown after the bad report last year is working.

"This should be as much about what the parents want as much as what the DfE want. We don't want our school interfered with any further, and we want Riddlesdown rather than Harris."

The latest Ofsted report issued found that:

In 2012, the proportion of pupils making expected progress in both English and maths exceeded the national average

The quality of teaching has improved steadily

Teachers are starting to provide greater challenges for pupils, including those who are more able

Much work had taken place in making more effective use of information on pupils' academic performance and measuring the performance of groups of pupils

The school is making satisfactory progress in addressing the issues for improvement and in raising the pupils' achievement

Recent legislative changes mean education secretary Michael Gove can impose conversion to academy status on schools that are underperforming.

Caroline Phillips, Roke's head teacher, hailed the recent improvements while expressing "determination" to carry on working with Riddlesdown.

She said: "This report tells us we are on the right track and recognises the hard work of staff and pupils.

"I can give a guarantee that we shall maintain our focus on further improvement, for the benefit of our whole community, and we look forward to continuing to work with Mr Smith, principal of Riddlesdown Collegiate, through to the end of the academic year.!

A DfE spokesman would not comment on whether Harris is still the department's "preferred" sponsor, but said: "We want to help under-performing schools to improve. Ofsted gave the school a notice to improve last year.

"We have now received the report from their latest monitoring visit and we'll take into account Ofsted's findings and judgment, any representations from the school and all other relevant information, when considering the way forward for Roke."

Students to pitch ideas for drink to 'dragons'

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BUDDING entrepreneurs from the John Fisher School will have the chance later this month to pitch their ideas for a new health drink to a panel of tycoons worth an estimated £300 million.

Don McCarthy, chairman of House of Fraser; Tony Purnell, former F1 chief of Redbull; and Katherine Merry, Olympic bronze medallist, will scrutinise the boys' ideas minutely and offer trenchant and valuable business advice.

Mr Andrew Dean, head of business, economics and enterprise at the school, is excited by the event which will highlight the importance the school puts on being enterprising.

He said: "The Young Apprentice series has been a real success, capturing the imagination of the boys and encouraging them to be enterprising." He added that the winners would receive "fantastic" prizes.

The event, on Thursday, February 7 at 7pm in the School Hall on Peaks Hill, Purley is free and open to the public.

There will be a leaving collection for a charity supported by the school: 'Love in a Box'.

Mr Dean said: "The boys will have access to some of the most successful and competitive business talent in the country as well as being in with a chance to win some of the most fantastic prizes the school has ever offered."

Homes suffer in power cable crisis

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NEARLY 20 homes and an old people's home suffered a power cut after workers building a fence accidentally struck the underground electricity cable.

Six homes and the Woodcote Grove House care home were cut off when the cable was hit and a further 11 customers had their supply cut so the line could be safely fixed.

Gordon Bell, course manager at Woodcote Park Golf Club, confirmed he was with a small team digging next to The Mount to install fence posts when they unexpectedly struck the cable shortly before 9.30am on Tuesday last week.

He added: "We cordoned off the area and phoned the electricity board. No one was hurt.

"We have moved it [the fence] now and marked out where the cable runs."

A spokesperson for Woodcote Grove House, a secluded home next to the golf club, confirmed parts of the home had been affected.

She said: "The cut in the power supply did affect us in that it knocked out one of our lines but this was restored within a couple of hours."

A spokesman for the UK Power Networks confirmed power had been interrupted to six customers.

She said engineers switched off supplies to a further 11 customers just before noon to repair the lines - reconnecting supplies at 3.25pm.

She urged anyone considering doing building work to contact them beforehand and find out the whereabouts of electricity cables.

She said: "We are committed to providing a reliable supply of electricity and, in a bid to reduce the number of power interruptions caused by contractors damaging underground cables, actively encourage any firm undertaking work to contact us in advance for advice and free cable-locating maps, to help them avoid our cables."

One nearby resident said the workers appeared to have had "a lucky escape."

He said: "They hit the 250-volt cable rather than the 1000-volt, which is just below. When we realised what had happened, we realised it could have been much worse."

Paralympian's golden backing for new centre

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PARALYMPIAN David Weir has given a thumbs-up to the borough's newest leisure centre.

The gold medallist opened the council's Waddon Leisure Centre at a ceremony on Tuesday evening.

At Fiveways Junction, the centre includes a 25-metre pool, 65-station gym, multi-purpose sports hall and creche. It has been designed to offer "exceptional" access to physically disabled users, the council claims, including a lift into the swimming pool and disabled facilities in the changing rooms.

Mr Weir said: "I was very impressed with the pool and the changing rooms. It's great to see so much equipment that is so suitable for disabled people."

Councillor Phil Thomas, Croydon's cabinet member with responsibility for the borough's sports facilities, said: "This is part of a wider package of commitments that we made to the people of Waddon and residents of Croydon as a whole, and so I'm delighted to see this centre opening."

The centre is open seven days a week, from 6.30am to 10pm, Monday to Friday, and 8am to 8pm at weekends.

For more information, call 020 8760 0657 or visit www.croydon-leisure.com

Holocaust survivor tells her story at Croydon memorial event

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A SINGLE candle was lit in the foyer of Croydon Town Hall on Monday to remember the victims of the Nazi Holocaust.

The ceremony was performed by Mayor of Croydon Councillor Eddy Arram, who also read out Croydon's pledge to strive to bring about mutual understanding among communities and oppose discrimination. His sentiments were echoed by Marilyn Arbisman from the Croydon Synagogue, who said communities learning to respect each other was the way forward.

The candle-lighting ceremony was followed by a civic commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day at which the main speaker was Agnes Grunwald-Spier, who with her parents survived persecution by the Nazi-allied regime in Budapest, Hungary, when she was a baby.

But she told her audience the memories had left a lasting mark on her family – her father committed suicide ten years after their escape from Hungary and her mother had never displayed "joie de vivre".

She added that, as well as leaving millions dead, the Holocaust had continued to impact on those who came though it, and that "generations to come" had been lost because of it.

Mrs Grunwald-Spier, who lives in Sutton, said she had decided to talk about her own family because no one could really conceive of the overall number of six million Jews killed.

She said: "Telling one person's story is something we can hang on to and identify with."

Mrs Grunwald-Spier explained how she and her mother had been saved from being sent to Auschwitz because, when they were lined up to be chosen, her mother told her, "the man in charge sent back women with children". The family managed to survive living in the ghettos in Budapest until they were liberated by the Russians in 1945.

As part of the civic ceremony students from Oasis Academy, Coulsdon, Addington High School and St James the Great Primary School in Thornton Heath performed drama and read poems with a Holocaust theme.

Holocaust survivor tells her story at Croydon memorial event

Next Croydon mayor is Sanderstead councillor Yvette Hopley

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SANDERSTEAD councillor Yvette Hopley is set to become the new Mayor of Croydon.

Her nomination was reported to the full council meeting on Monday and her election will be confirmed at the annual council meeting in May.

Councillor Hopley, 52, was first elected to the council in 2006 and will be relinquishing a number of posts when she becomes mayor.

At present she is deputy cabinet member for finance, asset management and performance, chairman of the audit committee, vice-chairman of the pension committee a member of the council's scrutiny and overview committee. She will be mayor in the run-up to the 2014 council elections and expects council proceedings to get increasingly heated as polling day approaches.

She said: "I think meetings are going to be extra busy and I am going to have to be robust."

She said she was "ecstatic" about her nomination and believed the mayor played an important role in the life of the borough, adding: "Being mayor is an opportunity to integrate with the community and voluntary organisations and help them to feel supported.

"I am a great believer in our heritage."

Next Croydon mayor is Sanderstead councillor Yvette Hopley

New Addington could get its own council

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NEW Addington could get its own council in a bid to help the estate "take greater control of its own destiny".

Labour councillor George Ayres has pledged to introduce the measure if his party wins next year's council elections.

The council would – much like village parish councils – have its own budget to spend on the estate and convey residents' concerns to Croydon Council on matters such as planning and schools.

It would be made up of representatives from the local community, schools and businesses.

Cllr Ayres told the Advertiser: "We want to see the community take on greater control of its own destiny by encouraging greater enterprise through the formation of a number of social enterprises."

Former Labour councillor Brenda Kirby welcomed her successor's idea.

She said: "New Addington has traditionally had a very strong community. We need to reinforce that."

However, the estate's Tory councillor, Tony Pearson, said the idea was "pie in the sky" and questioned the need for another layer of representation.

Ken Burgess, chairman of the Central Parade Business Partnership, also fears the idea is not practical.

He said: "We used to meet regularly as a community but, of course, with all the cuts that was disbanded.

"However, they were attended by the same regular people and often there were more councillors than residents at these meetings.

"Getting these things organised takes time and money."

But he agreed that there were matters in which the estate could do with more independence.

He said: "We are hugely concerned about the drop in footfall and numbers of people coming to the parade.

"I sincerely believe if they changed the parking [policies] it would encourage people to come up here."

Shoppers in Central Parade welcomed the idea of having more independence from Croydon Council – and gave the Advertiser a few suggestions of laws they would like to see introduced.

Michael Anderson, 51, of Chertsey Crescent, said he would like a ban on loud music.

He said: "There is a lot of loud music at night in my block and teenagers climbing through the window.

"No music after midnight in residential areas."

Josh Goksal, 16, of Fieldway, said he was fed up with the lack of things to do.

He said: "There needs to be more stuff for young people to do – sports or anything, more like the Timebridge Centre."

Winston Derc, 76, of Fieldway, called for the removal of the Central Parade boulders.

"I cannot see what they achieve anyway," he said.

New Addington could get its own council


Croydon teacher cleared of sexual activity with a child

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A FORMER teacher has been cleared of forcing himself on a schoolgirl. A jury yesterday (Thursday) found Ben Laundon not guilty of two counts of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust. The charges against the 40-year-old, of Norman Avenue, South Croydon, dated back to 2006. He was accused of forcing himself on a schoolgirl, now 22, and sending her racy text messages for up to two years, which he denied. The jury at Guildford Crown Court was told he had kissed the girl's neck and stroked her hair after a cab journey in 2006. Defending, Jai Patel told the jury the complainant, whose identity is protected by law, had made up the accusations. He said she had become obsessed about a novel she was writing at the time about a student-teacher relationship. The jury heard it was not until May 2011 that the complainant spoke about the alleged assault, telling her mother. By that time Mr Laundon had started working at Trinity School in Shirley, which he left in the wake of the allegations. A spokesman for the school said this week all appropriate checks were carried out before employing Mr Laundon, who now runs personal fitness training business Corpus Fitness. The trial lasted three days. Mr Laundon declined to comment after the verdict was delivered yesterday. The complainant's father said he was disappointed with the outcome.

Proceeds from Wilfried Zaha sale to Manchester United could fund new Crystal Palace stadium

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CRYSTAL Palace co-chairman Stephen Browett says the proceeds from Wilfried Zaha's move to Manchester United could be used to fund a new stadium.

Browett this week told the Advertiser that some money from the £15 million transfer will be kept aside for a potential move to Crystal Palace Park or the redevelopment of the Eagles' current Selhurst Park home.

The chairman also hailed the move – which will see England international Zaha loaned back to Palace until the end of the season – as "the best possible deal for Crystal Palace Football Club".

On the stadium issue, the co-chairman said: "Some [of the money] will be spent on working towards a new ground – we need to put something aside for work on that.

"And once we get planning and architects on that to fund it, some will be held back for that, and some of it will help fund our losses.

"The Crystal Palace Park is still an outside chance.

"It would be great to be in the park, but I'd say that redeveloping Selhurst is the most likely option, simply because we already own it, it's already in Croydon and it's already a football stadium.

"That makes it a lot easier to get the planning permission."

With an initial £10m in the kitty with a further £5m to come, Browett says the money will be spread evenly across many areas, including transfers and the club's wage bill.

"Some of the money from the sale will be used on transfers and player wages," he said.

"It's well known that we run a club at about a £3-5 million loss. Our wage bill [which is well documented to be at £10 million] is about £3 million more than it should be for us to break even.

"But it is ultimately funded by player sales or by the directors putting in their money."

Zaha will remain at the club until the summer and Browett believes Palace have got a better deal than previous transfers involving their younger starlets.

He said: "We think we've come from a position of strength, whereas in the past Palace have been preyed upon perhaps, and certainly Victor Moses was undersold because Palace were in a fairly desperate state.

"Historically, with the exception of Andrew Johnson, Palace have never really maximised the transfer fee on a player, but with Wilfried, we didn't need to sell him or we didn't want to sell him.

"So, Manchester United had to first agree that they couldn't take him until the end of the season because our focus is on getting promoted more than anything else.

"They then had to agree what was a record price for an English player for outside the Premier League. It's always sad to see one of our own go, but I think we did the best possible deal for Crystal Palace Football Club.

"We certainly did a good deal for Wilfried, as he and his family are secured for life pretty much with a five-and-a-half year deal with Manchester United.

"He's got a huge soft spot for Palace and wants us to get promoted, but ultimately he's a young professional footballer and all young professionals would like to be on the big stage, which he will be at Old Trafford."

Proceeds from Wilfried Zaha sale to Manchester United could fund new Crystal Palace stadium

January transfer window: a round-up

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The January transfer window closed last night with a bang, with a flurry of last-minute activity and against-the-clock deals. Some 72 deals were done yesterday alone, with many being finalised minutes before the 11pm deadline. Crewe's Paris Bateman penned a loan deal with Nantwich Town at quarter past 10, while Stoke's Matthew Upson signed with Brighton on loan with just 20 minutes to spare. It was a busy end to what had been, in the eyes of many, a relatively quiet transfer window. But subdued or not, over the course of the month 312 deals were made and almost £130 million spent by Premier League clubs - more than twice the amount spent last year. Crawley Town were the busiest club, with some eight deals completed. Here we round-up the January transfer window 2013: Crystal Palace At the last minute yesterday Palace signed Kevin Phillips and Stephen Dobbie on loan from Blackpool and Brighton respectively. The duo will remain at the club for the remainder of the season. Palace have also completed the loan signings of Swansea City defender Ashley Richards and Norwich City midfielder Jacob Butterfield. Richards, 21, will stay at Selhurst Park until the end of the season, while Butterfield joins on a one-month loan deal. Palace have also secured Manchester City forward Alex Nimely on loan until the end of the season. Conversely, a number of Palace players have gone out on loan - striker Kwesi Appiah to Yeovil Town for one month; winger Jason Banton to Plymouth Argyle until March 2 and Ibra Sekajja to Barnet for one month. Last week the club bid farewell to midfielder David Wright, who joined Colchester United on a free transfer after having his contract cancelled by mutual consent. The length of the deal has yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile Wilfried Zaha has agreed a five-and-a-half year deal with Manchester United, but will be loaned back to Palace until the summer. United will pay £10m up front, with an extra £5m in additional fees. Hull City City yesterday brought in Al Ahly's Mohamed Nagy and Ahmed Fathi on loan until the end of the season. The club also confirmed a loan deal for striker Gedo. The club's first piece of deadline day business, however, saw them re-sign Sunderland winger Ahmed Elmohamady. The Egyptian winger was a hit at the Tigers in his initial spell with the club earlier this season, before being recalled by Sunderland earlier this month. Earlier in the transfer window City signed Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale on loan until the end of the season. The club also completed the signing of midfielder David Meyler and winger Robbie Brady for undisclosed fees. The Republic of Ireland internationals, who have both agreed three-and-a-half year deals, have been on loan at the KC Stadium since November. City bid farewell to defender Liam Cooper, who signed with Chesterfield on a permanent basis after joining the Spireites on loan in November. The club has also sent out on loan midfielder Paul McKenna to Fleetwood Town and Aaron McLean to Ipswich Town. Both will stay at their respective loan clubs for the remainder of the season. Swansea City Arguably the biggest transfer news for City was the departure of striker Danny Graham, who yesterday completed a £5m move to Sunderland. After numerous reports linking him to Sunderland, Norwich and Middlesbrough, the 27-year-old agreed a three-and-a-half-year deal at the Stadium of Light. The club also bid farewell to striker Jamie Proctor, who has signed with Crawley Town for an undisclosed fee. The 20-year-old has signed an 18-month deal with the club. Meanwhile full-back Curtis Obeng joined York City on a one-month loan deal. Earlier this week Wayne Routledge followed Michu's lead by signing a new contract which will keep him at Swansea City until 2016. The club had their eye on Stoke City star Kenwyne Jones, but saw a bid of £3m rejected. Meanwhile Newport County midfielder Lee Evans signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Wolvers for an undisclosed fee. And Cardiff yesterday bid farewell to Kevin Sainte-Luce, who signed with AFC Wimbledon. Earlier in the month Cardiff City signed Sunderland striker Fraizer Campbell on a three-and-a-half-year contract, in a deal thought to be worth £650,000. This week City also signed Connah's Quay striker Rhys Healey for an undisclosed fee. The 18-year-old has penned a contract which will keep him at the club until 2015. Plymouth Argyle Argyle have made a number of loan signings during the January transfer window, the latest being Crystal Palace winger Jason Banton, who yesterday joined the club on loan until March 2. Last month Argyle also welcomed back Yeovil Town forward Reuben Reid, who penned a loan deal which will keep him at the club until the end of February. Reid, 24, returns to the club where he began his professional career. The club also signed Anthony Charles until the end of the season after the defender saw his contract terminated by Northampton Town, and former Aldershot and Torquay centre-back Guy Branston until the end of the season. Ipswich Town striker Ronan Murray has also joined the club on loan until the end of the season. Argyle also brought in Reading's Gozie Ugwu on a month's loan after an ankle injury saw striker Warren Feeney ruled out for up to two months. Argyle has also bid farewell to a number of players. Captain Darren Purse signed with Port Vale in early January after leaving Home Park by mutual consent, while striker Rhys Griffiths yesterday had his contract cancelled by mutual consent after being told earlier in the week he was surplus to requirements. Bristol City and Bristol Rovers Bristol City welcomed Brendan Moloney from Nottingham Forest on a free transfer, as well as Liam Kelly from Kilmarnock for £200,000. City youngster Conor Evans also signed his first professional contract at the club. City also bid farewell to Brett Pitman, who signed with Bournemouth, and Martyn Woolford, who headed to Millwall. Both moved for an undisclosed fee. Jody Morris yesterday left Bristol City by mutual consent after making just five first-team appearances. City turned down three Crystal Palace bids for winger Albert Adomah, the last of which was put forward yesterday. Meanwhile Bristol Rovers brought in six new faces - Tom Hitchcock on loan from Queens Park Rangers until end of season; Clayton McDonald from Port Vale on loan for three months and Steve Mildenhall on loan until the end of the season. Mark McChrystal joined from Tranmere Rovers on a free transfer signing a permanent six month deal, while Ryan Brunt joined the club from Stoke City, penning a two-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee. Meanwhile Colchester United's John-Joe O'Toole will remain at the club on loan for loan three months, after extending his spell. Stoke City It was a fairly busy month for Stoke City, with seven deals made in total. Tony Pulis spoke on January 2 of the club's need for "fresh blood", and said he was keen to sign a couple of fresh faces during the transfer window. Those new faces arrived at the club yesterday - Stoke signed United States international winger Brek Shea from FC Dallas for £2.5 million and England goalkeeper Jack Butland from Birmingham City for a fee rising to £3.5m. Both deals were made late evening, and will keep the players at the club for four-and-a-half-years. Stoke were one of the first clubs to see activity in the transfer window, with Danny Higginbotham joining Sheffield United on a free transfer on January 1. The defender signed an initial six-month contract. City midfielder Rory Delap joined Barnsley on loan later in the month and centre-back Matthew Upson headed to Brighton. Both will remain at their respective loan clubs until the end of the season. The club also bid farewell to Stoke forward Ryan Brunt, who joined Bristol Rovers on a two-and-a-half-year deal, and midfielder Michael Tonge, who signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Leeds United. Both moved for an undisclosed fee. Rumour spread Peter Crouch and Kenwyne Jones were due to exit the club, with QPR making an inquiry and Swansea City making a bid of £3m respectively. But it was last night confirmed the pair would be staying at the club, after both deals collapsed. Assistant manager Dave Kemp said this morning in a press conference: Meanwhile Port Vale welcomed over the course of January left-back Daniel Jones of the Owls, who signed a short-term contract that runs until the end of the season, and Notts County striker Lee Hughes, who agreed a deal which will keep him at Vale until the season end. The club also brought in former Plymouth Argyle captain Darren Purse on a free transfer and re-signed Trinidad & Tobago international midfielder Chris Birchall on a short-term deal until the end of the season. Port Vale also extended the contract of Calvin Andrew until the end of the season. But the club also sent out two players on loan - midfielder Kingsley James, who joined Martin Foyle's Hereford on a month's loan, and defender Clayton McDonald, who joined Bristol Rovers on loan until the end of the season. The club said on Tuesday they would hold fire on contract talks until they knew which division they will be playing in next season. It appears key assets remain at Vale Park. Crewe Alexandra yesterday re-signed Arsenal midfielder Chuks Aneke on loan and extended Newcastle's Brad Inman's loan spell at the Alexandra Stadium.

Transfer deadline day: As it happened for Stoke City, Port Vale and Crewe Alexandra

Nottingham Forest Forest signed goalkeeper Khaled Al-Rashidi on a free transfer from Al Arabi. The 25-year-old penned a two-and-a-half year contract. Forest also last month welcomed Millwall forward Darius Henderson, who moved for an undisclosed fee to become Forest's third signing of the transfer window. He has signed until the end of the campaign. The club also signed West Brom defender Gonzalo Jara, and re-signed Norwich City defender Elliott Ward on loan until the end of the season. Meanwhile striker Dexter Blackstock has penned a four-and-a-half year contract extension at Forest. Derry City's Stephen McLaughlin was the club's first January signing– he joined on a three-and-a-half-year contract. Radoslaw Majewski signed a new three-and-a-half year deal at the club. Forest made two unsuccessful attempts to sign Birmingham winger Chris Burke, lodging a £500,000 bid for the player. But the club bid farewell to defender Brendan Moloney, who penned a two-and-a-half year deal at Bristol City. The 24-year-old was under contract until the summer but his Forest deal was terminated by mutual consent, allowing him to join City on a free transfer. Earlier last month striker Matt Derbyshire joined Blackpool on loan, and David McGoldrick headed out to Ipswich Town. Both will remain at their respective loan clubs until the end of the season. Lee Camp headed to Norwich on a free transfer, while David Morgan has gone to Dundee on loan until the end of the season. Meanwhile Notts County signed midfielder Andre Boucaud from Luton Town for an undisclosed fee. The club bid farewell to striker Lee Hughes, who has joined Port Vale. Mansfield Town welcomed James Jennings on free transfer form Cambridge United and bid farewell to Joel Holland, who has signed with Shirebrook Town. Cheltenham Town Town made a number of loan signings during the January transfer window – Manchester United defender Luke McCullough; Swindon Town's Paul Benson and Reading's Michael Hector. The club have also secured a number of permanent signings – Rotherham United midfielder Jason Taylor and AFC Wimbledon striker Byron Harrison. Both have penned two-and-a-half-year deals. Meanwhile Luke Rooney has joined on loan subject to Football League ratification. Town bid farewell to a number of players - Chris Zebroski; Danny Andrew; Jeff Goulding and Alan Bennett. Marlon Pack's exit is subject to FL ratification. Bagasan Graham has joined Gloucester City on loan. Meanwhile Swindon Town winger Luke Rooney and Cheltenham Town midfielder Marlon Pack will swap clubs. Swindon Town have also secured the signature of Millwall centre-back Darren Ward, who has joined on a free transfer. He will remain at the club for 18 months. Swindon Town winger Matt Ritchie has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with AFC Bournemouth worth £500,000. Meanwhile Town striker Paul Benson has completed a loan move to Cheltenham for the rest of the season. Midfielder Oliver Risser has signed with Aldershot after his contract with Swindon was terminated by mutual consent. Leicester City City yesterday bid farewell to Cian Bolger, who has joined Bolton Wanderers on a three-and-a-half-year deal. The 20-year-old Irishman joins the Trotters for an undisclosed fee. Meanwhile City midfielder Neil Danns has joined Huddersfield Town on loan until the end of the season. And Jeff Schlupp has seen his training stint with Manchester United extended. Derby County Striker Nathan Tyson has joined Millwall on loan until the end of the season. Meanwhile Chesterfield have signed full-back Richard Brindley on a deal until the end of the season. The 19-year-old was released by Norwich at the end of last season and joined Chelmsford City in the summer. Gillingham Gillingham have secured the signature of midfielder Steven Gregory following his release by AFC Bournemouth. The 25-year-old has penned an 18-month deal. The club have also signed Huddersfield Town midfielder Anton Robinson on loan until the end of the season and Coventry striker Cody McDonald on a 93-day loan deal. Gillingham also converted centre-half Leon Legge's loan from Brentford into a permanent two-year deal. The 27-year-old joined the club on a one-month loan on New Year's Day. The club has parted with centre-back Connor Essam, who has penned a deal with Crawley. The 20-year-old joins on a free transfer. A number of Gillingham players have gone out on loan - Peterborough United have signed midfielder Jack Payne until the end of the season, with a view to a permanent move, while Lewis Montrose will remain at Oxford until the season end. Colchester United A number of fresh faces joined Colchester United during the January transfer window - England Under-19 striker Dominic Samuel from Reading on an initial one-month loan; Burnley forward George Porter on a youth loan and young Chelsea midfielder Billy Clifford on a one month loan. United have also signed Crystal Palace midfielder David Wright on a free transfer, and MK Dons striker Jabo Ibehre on a contract until the end of the season in a free transfer move. The length of the Wright deal has yet to be confirmed. Colchester United have also brought in Chelsea goalkeeper Sam Walker on loan until the end of the season. Meanwhile United midfielder Anthony Wordsworth has penned a deal with Ipswich Town believed to be starting at £100,000, possibly rising to £200,000. Wordsworth, 24, has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal at Portman Road, with the option of a 12-month extension. Exeter City Exeter City have signed former AFC Bournemouth midfielder Mark Molesley on loan until the end of the season. The 31-year-old has been released by the Cherries after more than four years at Dean Court. Scunthorpe United United have signed free agent Akpo Sodje on a short-term deal until the end of the season. The 32-year-old striker left Preston in December.

January transfer window: a round-up

Palace boss confirms Jedinak and Moritz injury blow

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CRYSTAL Palace manager Ian Holloway has confirmed that Mile Jedinak and Andre Moritz will miss tomorrow's south London clash with Charlton Athletic.
The news means the likes of Jacob Butterfield, Alex Marrow, Stuart O'Keefe and Jonathan Williams are Holloway's only senior options for a starting place in the middle of the park.
Influential skipper Jedinak was on the end of nasty challenge from Huddersfield Town forward Alan Lee on Wednesday night, and Holloway is still reeling from the outcome 48 hours on.
"Mile will be out for another four days until he can play with a mask on," Holloway told Advertiser Sport after his Friday press conference at the club's training ground.
"It will be Phantom of the Opera style, but his eye is totally still closed."
And Moritz, who suffered an ankle injury on the stroke of half-time in West Yorkshire, is set for a longer spell on the sidelines.
"Andre is out for six weeks," said the boss.
"He twisted his ankle and he heard a 'pop', so there might be a ligament gone there or somewhere along the line.
"It's still too swollen to get it scanned."

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Palace boss: No better finisher than Kevin Phillips

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CRYSTAL Palace boss Ian Holloway says Kevin Phillips will give everyone a boost at the club and has backed him to fire the Eagles towards promotion.
"Kevin Phillips will bring class on and off the field, and goals," he told Advertiser Sport.
"It's not long-term, we know that, but if there's a better finisher anywhere who can play up or off a big man, I'd like to see it.
"I've worked with him before and he knows how I work so he will slot straight in and give my squad a lot of belief.
"All these young lads at the club will watch him and learn how to be a good professional."
Furthermore, Holloway is also looking forward to working with Stephen Dobbie again.
"Stephen Dobbie wasn't getting a look-in down the road and I've had him before – he knows exactly what I do," he told Advertiser Sport.
"He can play on the left or the right or in the pocket, so he knows what I do. I'm very, very pleased with that."

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Greenwich police commander placed in charge of Croydon on temporary basis

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GREENWICH'S top police officer has been appointed Croydon's borough commander on a temporary basis.
Chief Superintendent  Richard Wood, borough commander in Greenwich, will stand in for David Musker who is away on a course for two months.
"I am delighted to be at Croydon and I'm looking forward to building upon the excellent work that Dave and the team here have been doing," said Chief Super Wood.
"Although I'm here for a relatively short period of time until Dave's return, I'm 100 per cent committed to making Croydon an even safer place."
Chief Super Musker, who was off work due to ill-health for several weeks in November, has been away from Croydon on annual leave since Christmas, leaving Supt Rob Atkin in charge on an acting basis.
He is now on a 'senior police strategic command course' and is due to return to Croydon on April 15.

Greenwich police commander placed in charge of Croydon on temporary basis

Holloway: We were in for two other players on deadline day

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CRYSTAL Palace were in talks with two other players other than new loan signings Kevin Phillips and Stephen Dobbie on transfer deadline day, says manager Ian Holloway.
And he admitted he's never been so busy trying to sign players in the whole of football career.
"It was reported we were in for others and we missed them for all sorts of reasons, and really I can't ask for anymore because we tried our best and had a right good go," he told Advertiser Sport.
"The way it was, it was ridiculous. The two we were linked with and talked about end up not even getting what they were promised.
"I can say I spoke personally to both players, but the way this transfer window is, it's a complete and utter rat race.
"I have never tried to set up so many deals in my life because so many of them might have fallen through, just because we were rumoured to be in for somebody.
"It's completely crazy and my wife said to me last night 'any top club could pretend to be in for someone right until the last minute to stop their rivals getting a player off them for a ridiculous amount of money, then pull out at the last second, has anybody thought of that?' – that's what could happen.
"You could deliberately scupper your opponents because they are now locked into a window, which should never be there anyway, and you wouldn't have this madness."

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Eagles boss "horrified" by MacAnthony tweet

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IAN Holloway has revealed how "horrified" he was after Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony announced on his Twitter account that George Boyd was heading to Crystal Palace.
"It was announced by the chairman of Peterborough United that George Boyd was going to his boyhood club, and I'm horrified because we hadn't done personal terms yet," he told Advertiser Sport.
"Our fans shouldn't be told that. What on earth was that about? I just can't understand it, and you sit there on Sky Sports News night after night after night, and it's just ticking away.
"For goodness sake, make a decent programme. What sort of world are we living in?
"Ever since I've been here, all it's been (from the media) has been Wilfried, Wilfried, Wilfried, Wilfried.
"Now we're back with a bit of sanity and let's see what we can do."

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Charlton skipper: We'll be trying to keep Wilfried Zaha quiet

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CRYSTAL Palace star Wilfried Zaha will be watched closely by Charlton Athletic tomorrow, says Addicks captain Johnnie Jackson.
The 30-year-old is set to come up against the player ten years his junior at Selhurst Park and believes the winger's move to Manchester United is fully-deserving.
"We know Palace's strengths, and obviously Wilfried Zaha has got a big move to Manchester United," Jackson told Advertiser Sport.
"He's top player as everyone is fully aware, but we'll be trying to keep him quiet.
"I hope he has one of his quieter games and we'll see what we can do to combat that.
"The kid has got bundles and bundles of ability, and the fact that Manchester United have come in for him says it all really being the biggest club in the country.
"They would have done their homework and watched him plenty of times. They obviously like what they've seen and he's got potential as well to go on and be a top player.
"Good luck to him - he's done it at Championship level and now it's time to prove it at a higher one."
Meanwhile, Jackson says Charlton will be looking for the win in SE25, backed by 3,000 away supporters.
"We've experienced a big derby away at Millwall already this season, and we know going to Selhurst Park it's going to be a huge game and we'll have a lot of fans down there," he told Advertiser Sport.
"The away end has sold out so it's going to be lively, and it's a good chance for us to bounce back.
"I suppose we'll be looking for a bit of revenge from the last game at The Valley and a few bragging rights in south London.
"Like we do when we analyse every team, we'll be looking to exploit any weaknesses."

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Electric atmosphere expected at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace welcome Charlton Athletic

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CRYSTAL Palace welcome Charlton Athletic to SE25 for the first time in four years today (Saturday) and an electric atmosphere is expected with up to 3,000 away supporters expected in the Arthur Wait Stand.

Wednesday night's result at Huddersfield Town was a blow to Palace's automatic promotion hopes, but they'll be looking to bounce back immediately against the Addicks with just 24 hours to prepare.

The team stayed up in Huddersfield after the game and travelled back down on Thursday, and boss Ian Holloway will be desperate to know the extent of Mile Jedinak's eye injury.

The manager was livid after the game and there were a few scenes of discontent in the tunnel area, reportedly over the alleged elbow to the Australian's face.

Jedinak may have even gone straight to hospital to get a few tests done, but you wouldn't think he'd make it in time for tomorrow.

But if he does manage to make it, he'll want to make sure he can definitely give 100 per cent with an injury like that.

And Andre Moritz could be missing after sustaining a nasty-looking leg injury, but it could mean that Jonathan Williams is given a starting role with Stuart O'Keefe called into the equation.

Jazz Richards is also likely to keep his place at right-back after impressing, while Yannick Bolasie and Wilfried Zaha are expected to start on the wings.

Of course, we all know about the Addicks' days in the Premier League, but a rapid fall from grace inside two seasons saw them drop down two divisions into League One, where they stayed for three years.

But just as we have seen with the likes of Leeds United, Norwich City and Southampton, Charlton battled their way out and have been a steady customer back in the Championship this campaign.

Chris Powell's side had been on a good run of form, but that was stopped in its tracks last Saturday when Sheffield Wednesday stole two late goals to take all three points at the Valley.

And the Valley boss, who started his footballing career as a youngster at Palace in the 1980s, says he wants a response at Selhurst Park from his players after losing to the Owls.

"It's a big game in many ways and it's one we'll have to be ready for," he told Advertiser Sport.

"Palace are a good team and have done particularly well this season, especially at home.

"We lost in the game against them at the Valley and really it's for us to go there and look to get one back.

"I will be looking for a response from the players."

And Powell believes Wilfried Zaha will be looking to finish the season strongly before departing for Manchester United, but says there are other threats Palace will offer against his side.

"Zaha is a player who is much-admired by a lot of people and he's really grown in stature in regards to his play," he said.

"But Bolasie has made a difference to them and Murray has scored goals, so they're a strong team and have a good way of playing.

"Ian Holloway has come in and they've carried on, but it's a good financial deal for Palace and I'm sure he'll be looking to perform well for them before his send-off at the end of the season."

Electric atmosphere expected at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace welcome Charlton Athletic

Deal between Croydon and Lambeth saves Upper Norwood Library

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A COMMUNITY campaign to save Upper Norwood Library from closure has paid off – with a deal between Croydon and Lambeth councils now in place.

Under the arrangement Croydon will fund the library to the tune of £75,000 a year for the next two years, with Lambeth footing an annual £150,000 bill.

The deal has already been given a broad welcome from campaigners who have fought against the threat of closure after Croydon pulled out of its long-standing partnership with Lambeth.

They will now push ahead with finalising the details of an independent trust, which aims to run the library under a co-operative model being introduced across Lambeth's library service.

Robert Gibson, a member of the newly-formed trust, said: "Given that in March last year there was very serious concern the library would shut, it is welcome news that the library will clearly survive for at least two more years, and hopefully much longer."

He said there were a lot of details to be worked out and the trust would want to ensure that the library continued to run independently and be operated by professional staff.

But while the deal is supported in principle by Labour councillors in the area, they remain unhappy with the level of finance being provided by Croydon.

The agreement was announced at Monday's meeting of Croydon Council by Councillor Tim Pollard, the cabinet member for children, families and learning.

Cllr Pollard said the agreement, combined with potential income streams for the trust, would give the library an budget of around £285,000 a year, making it one of the borough's best-funded libraries.

The council will also hand over its 50 per cent share of the ownership of the building to Lambeth.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Pollard added: "Running this library as a joint venture between two boroughs worked for many years, and Croydon was determined to keep it open.

"Our new proposal to Lambeth not only achieves that goal, but also gives the community more direct control over how it's managed in the future.

"We've already been impressed by the quality of the business plan submitted by members of the local community, and Lambeth's agreement to our proposals bodes well for the prospects of this new enterprise."

Under the new arrangement it is likely that, while the deal comes into operation in April this year, Lambeth will work with the trust to ensure it beds in properly before full control is handed over in about a year.

Upper Norwood councillor Pat Ryan said: "We are delighted that the library is not going to close.

"Without the efforts of the community and the Labour party we would not be where we are today."

But he complained that the £75,000 promised by the council was £114,000 less than it had been under the original joint agreement, and also claimed this cut could lead to the loss of five jobs and hit the children's and reference library services.

Cllr Ryan said: "This level of funding from Croydon does not really give the trust a fighting chance."

He added that Labour had pledged that if it gained control of the council next May, match funding the Lambeth contribution to the budget would be a priority.

Deal between Croydon and Lambeth saves Upper Norwood Library

Streatham-Croydon in comfortable win over Worth Old Boys

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STREATHAM-CROYDON ran out comfortable winners against Surrey Two's bottom side Worth Old Boys last Saturday.

Without any meaningful preparation due to the inclement weather, both teams punctuated the opening exchanges with mistakes and imprecision.

First blood was drawn by the away side with a well-struck penalty dissecting the posts. This and the game's first try following a highly effective rolling maul were the only true incursions made by Worth in the first half.

Streatham's second-half performance clinched victory and earned a vital bonus point.

From the opening tussles, it was clear that Streatham-Croydon had a renewed purpose, running with greater depth and support into the contact area. Well recycled ball and quick hands resulted in the opening score by Conor Kelly, whose tackling and running were significant bright points during the first period.

This was followed by the try of the game as winger Vinny Auguiste crashed over in the right corner after numerous carries from the Streatham pack. Promptly recycled possession led to an overlap and the tide had turned.

At the end, Maika Baleilovu touched down by the post after a race following a host of calamitous events in the Old Boys' half.

And he grabbed Streatham's final try, pouncing after the ball had shot out of the scrum to ensure the bonus point.

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