HARROGATE Town are poised to make a dramatic swoop for former Premiership winner Mark Atkins.

The 35-year-old Doncaster-born midfielder has tasted nearly every emotion in football, from the highs of the 1994-5 title-winning success with Blackburn Rovers to last season's relegation out of the Football League with Shrewsbury.

And it is after the Shrews suffered the heartbreak of relegation that Atkins, who had a brief spell at the York City, found himself among the numerous footballers shown the door by cash-strapped clubs.

However, ambitious Town boss John Reed, who also hails from Doncaster, is believed to see the experienced war-horse as a vital cog for the clubs push for promotion to the Conference.

Meanwhile, former York City midfielder Nick Richardson has been released by the club

Updated: 10:20 Saturday, June 28, 2003