Marshall poised for Millwall move

Want-a-way Ipswich goalkeeper Andy Marshall is set to join Millwall on a one-month loan deal. The interest from south London has been known for about a week after Lion’s assistant manager Ray Wilkins watched the former Norwich stopper at a reserve match.

Joe Royle confirmed the move to the official website this morning:

“It looks as though Andy will be joining Millwall on loan. Andy needs to be playing first-team football and this is a good opportunity for him”.

Marshall has been given the all-clear to play in Millwall’s FA Cup fourth round tie against Telford next week and any subsequent games that the club play in the competition such as the possible fifth round tie against Burnley.

Ironically the move comes as Millwall’s number one Tony Warner is close to joining Wolverhampton Wanderers, where Marshall spent two months on loan earlier at the end of 2003 and rejected a longer term deal in order to find a permanent move from Portman Road.

A player currently out on loan is Alun Armstrong, who has today extended his stay with the Bantams for a further month. The former Middlesbrough forward has scored one goal in five games for the relegation threatened side, that goal coming against Norwich in a surprise 1-0 win at Carrow Road.

However Armstrong won’t be lining up against Town in the home game with Bradford on February 14th, even though the match is part-way through his second month. Joe Royle confirmed: "We are happy for Alun to stay at Bradford until the end of February, but part of the deal means he will not be able to play in the game against the club”.

A permanent move to Bradford seems unlikely for Armstrong, with the Bantams favourites for relegation and the club’s finances in a not-to-dissimilar state to those at Ipswich.

“It’s too early to tell if anything permanent will arise. At the moment there are no indications that will happen” Royle told the official Town website.