EXCLUSIVE - MORAN TO BE SOLD TO UNIBOND PREMIER CLUB
RHYL'S record breaking striker Andy Moran is set to be sold to Unibond League Premier Division club Fleetwood Town tomorrow, Lilywhites Online can reveal.
The 28-year-old is due to join The Fishermen in the morning for an undisclosed club record four-figure fee.
Subject to international clearance being confirmed, Fleetwood hope to play Moran in tomorrow night's match against Gateshead.
Moran is Rhyl's highest Welsh Premier League scorer with 99 goals. In 226 full competitive appearances for the Lilies, he has netted 155 times.
Although he started the current campaign well, bagging 17 goals, Moran has struggled for form in recent weeks and was dropped from the squad for Saturday's 2-0 victory over Haverfordwest.
Rhyl manager John Hulse was full of praise for the departing striker, who joined the club in the 2001/02 season.
"I'd like to thank Andy for all he has done for the club and he goes with my full blessing," said Hulse.
"It is fair to say he had gone off the boil and with the strikers who've come into the club recently we needed to shake things up a bit.
"I know Andy is sorry to be leaving Rhyl, the fans mean a lot to him, especially for the way they and everyone at the club stuck with him through difficult times.
"But I think he had gone a bit stale and the move to Fleetwood represents a fresh challenge.
"The fee we've received makes good business sense as Andy's contract would have been up in seven weeks so he'd have become a free agent and could have moved on for nothing."
Moran has experienced mixed fortunes during his time at Belle Vue.
In 2003/04 his 47 goals inspired the club to the Welsh Premier League, Welsh Cup and League Cup treble, but at the end of the campaign it was revealed he had traces of the illegal substance nandrolone in his system following a random test during that season.
Moran was stripped of his Welsh Premier League Player of the Season title and served an eight-month ban, but remained at the club and continued to contribute a steady flow of goals.
His departure comes hot on the heels of prolific strike partner Lee Hunt's transfer request.
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All the best Andy
You will always be a Rhyl legend !!
Jon
So sorry to see him go, a legend with the fans. Hope he re-finds his goal scoring ability with his new challenge.
All the best Andy, hope to see you back at BV to watch a game sometime.
Andy has been a great asset to Rhyl FC; as well as all his goals he has also been one of our most skilful players; a creative player like the old fashioned inside forward, as well as a goalscorer.
A pity we won't get the chance to give him a proper send off, likewise with Timmy Edwards; it would have been fitting to see him play one last game for us; but seems like it won't happen.
Good luck at your new club Andy, you are one of Rhyl's all time great players, and a thoroughly nice bloke.
Good luck to Andy and thanks for all the goals and for the often ignored work rate .
All the success of the last few years wasn't just down to Andy but it couldn't have been achieved without him Andy probably doesn't realise just how much magic moments like Port and the game against Haka meant to fans. He's given us and the town something to cheer about. Hopefully he'll come down to Rhyl for a match, and these tributes will be posted in Fleetwood so that they appreciate what they are getting.
Plenty of good memories from your time at Belle Vue, a true Legend. Best wishes for the future, and thanks again.