Football Season Guide

Paul Simpson will be hoping he can carry both his and Carlisle United’s renaissance into the new season. He was appointed in an act of desperation in March following the disastrous appointment of Keith Millen that saw the Cumbrians slide into a relegation battle with their Football League status in real jeopardy. Simpson had been sitting on his sofa waiting for the phone to ring and took a calculated gamble in returning to the club he guided to back-to-back promotions in 2005 and 2006. It had ended on a sour note but he allowed his heart to rule his head and the gamble paid off as he led them to safety. Having signed a new three-year deal in the summer, he will be hoping to bring some much-needed stability to Brunton Park. There were some eyebrows raised when he opted not to offer goalkeeper Mark Howard a new deal and the only other real departure of note is versatile midfielder Joe Riley, who rejected a new contract offer to sign for Walsall. Tomas Holy has been brought in to replace Howard between the sticks whilst midfielder Owen Moxon has made short hop having impressed at Annan Athletic. Striker Ryan Edmundson will be hoping to find a home following a series of loan moves at Leeds United. A trio of loanees in centre-back Ben Barclay, full-back Finley Back and midfielder Sonny Hilton has also been added to the squad and Simpson is likely to remain busy in the transfer market until the window closes in September.