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New signing
Gresley Rovers have signed utility player Andy Marlowe from UniBond division one rivals Rocester.
Marlowe, 31 is an ex professional who spent time at Tottenham Hotspur and captained the England U18 side. Marlowe was captain for the Romans this term but has been persuaded to join the Rovers squad to bolster numbers after the recent departure of Carl Slater and one or two injuries. Manager Gary Norton said: "Andy comes in with a wealth of experience and that is going to prove invaluable as our season progresses. He's coming in as a utility player but predominantly will operate in midfield. He is fully aware of the competition for places that we have in that area with Ashley Dodd, Jamie Barrett and Andy Simpson challenging for shirts but is happy to be patient and bide his time. One of the added benefits of him signing is that he's also a very good coach and he will prove to be a good resource for Steve, Alan and myself to call upon on the training ground when required."
The arrival at the Moat Ground of Marlowe follows hot on the heels of former Derby County defender Jimmy Turner and Norton hasn't ruled out the possibility of further additions to his squad. "We are always on the lookout to see who's out there and if the right person is available for the right money then I won't hesitate to try and get them to come here. We have just started to pick up a few injuries here and there and with games coming thick and fast we need the extra bodies at the moment. We've done well to operate during the first 15 games of this season with a small squad of 14 or 15 but now for the first time this season that number is starting to look a bit thin. If we are going to maintain things near the top of the table then I need the quality, strength, and depth to the squad that other top sides in the league have. That may mean that players occasionally miss out of the squad altogether, which the majority of players understand and accept in a professional manner. Unfortunately, we haven't got the money to throw at players like some of the other sides in our league but people have to give us some credit because we haven't done too badly in building a quality squad this season with the resources afforded to us."
