Bury Town sign Aaron Okpolokpo and Louie Arnold from Hadleigh United and Cornard United as full-back Will Gardner is released
It has been a case of two players in and one out of the Bury Town squad in recent days as manager Cole Skuse and assistant Paul Musgrove make ‘the necessary changes’ to spark a run of improved results.
Friday saw the club reveal full-back Will Gardner had ended his second spell at Ram Meadow by ‘mutual consent’ following a lack of game-time.
Come Saturday’s Pitching In Isthmian League North Division home game with Witham Town – which ended in a welcome 3-0 win for Bury -there was then two new young names on the team-sheet. There was a start in the number three shirt for 17-year-old Dublin born defender Aaron Okpolokpo and a spot on the bench for striker Louie Arnold.
Okpolokpo, who has dual citizenship with Nigeria, joins Bury on dual registration from Thurlow Nunn League Premier Division Hadleigh United and previously had a spell at North Division rivals Stowmarket Town earlier this season, playing three games.
He is the younger brother of Josh Okpolokpo, the former Ipswich Town and Huddersfield Town youth player who had a short spell with AFC Sudbury this season after joining from Leiston.
Arnold, who came through AFC Sudbury’s academy, has caught the eye at Thurlow Nunn League First Division North outfit Cornard United, scoring 11 times in 21 games this term, and joins the Blues on a permanent basis.
Manager Skuse told the club’s website: "We have been keeping an eye on both players this season.
“We looked at Aaron earlier in the season following a recommendation.
“He spent a short time at Stowmarket earlier in the season but things did not work out for him there so he went back to Hadleigh.
“Louie is a young striker who has performed well at Step 6 this season with 11 goals already this term, so we are hoping that he will be able to bring that part of his game up a couple of levels and we will be working with him closely.”
He added: “Myself and the management team are continuing to make the necessary changes to the squad to make sure we are competing where we should be. Saturday's result was a step in the right direction but there is still a lot of hard work to do."
While Okpolokpo played the whole of Saturday’s 3-0 victory, Arnold came on for Ed Upson – who had followed up two Luke Brown goals inside 23 minutes with an acrobatic third in the 36th minute – with 11 minutes to go.
Meanwhile, Gardner – who has made six appearances this season – originally joined the club from Haverhill Rovers before leaving to join Soham Town Rangers.
He returned to Bury in the summer of 2019 and has spent the last four seasons with the Blues, including a brief spell on dual registration with Newmarket Town.
Assistant boss Musgrove, who had admitted Skuse and himself had been left facing up to a big challenge following their start to the campaign, said of his departure: “It was a mutual agreement. His game-time hasn’t been what he wanted and we looked at that and thought he needs to be playing.”
A club statement thanked Gardner for his service to the club and wished him success in the future.
Bury, now 14th in the North Division table after ending their three game losing run and four in all competitions, host fourth-placed Basildon United at the OCS Ram Meadow Stadium tomorrow night (7.45pm). Their opponents go into the game after being held to a 1-1 draw at strugglers Grays Athletic on Saturday, which followed on from their four league wins on the spin.
