Mark Cooper completes a hat-trick of AFC Telford signings
New AFC Telford boss Mark Cooper swooped for a hat-trick of deals yesterday to add extra weight to his bid for Blue Square Bet Premier survival.
Cooper brought in young Leicester defender Karlton Watson, former England C international Charlie Henry and Cheltenham midfielder Bagasan Graham to follow his earlier signing of Ian Craney this week.
It is Cooper and the club's response to a deepening crisis at the New Bucks Head which has seen a 17-game run without victory push the team into a survival fight.
Henry, a much-travelled 26-year-old wideman with a pacey reputation, has arrived on an initial 28-day loan from Macclesfield with previous service at clubs which include Luton Town.
Leicester defender Watson is also beginning a month's loan as part of his parent club's policy to find him senior experienceand 20-year-old Londoner Graham is another midfielder joining on loan from Cheltenham Town, the player has joined the League One club from QPR.
Cooper's whirl on action came in time for all three to be available for today's tough trip to Grimsby where the more experienced Craney, who signed as a free agent, was making a debut.
Craney, a veteran of more than 300 games at seven different clubs, is under no illusions about the task facing the squad to preserve their place in the non-League's top flight.
He said: "I'm up for a battle and it is going to be a bit of a battle to keep them up.
"I have been in this situation plenty of times with Accrington (in League Two) and we survived so I am looking forward to the challenge. I know the conference quite well. I won promotion with Accrington and I played for Fleetwood as well so I know the style most teams will play."
