ACCRINGTON Stanley have snapped up winger Dean Calcutt from Bradford Park Avenue.

Boss John Coleman has paid £5,000 for the 27-year-old who he has been a long term admirer of and Calcutt will got straight into the squad for tomorrow's UniBond Premier Division opener at home to Runcorn.

But record signing Gary Williams has left the club to link up with First Division side Rossendale United.

Williams proved a hit at the Crown Ground in his first spell and was snapped up for £60,000 by Conference side Doncaster. He returned to Stanley two seasons ago for around £25,000 but hasn't been able to break into the first team with Lutel James and Paul Mullin up front.

He had been playing as more of a winger and handed in a transfer request last season, only to withdraw it before going on loan to Dark Lane at the end of last season.

"I was not happy as I did not want him to leave but I respect his decision," said Coleman. "Gary basically wants to play up front and he thought his options were limited here. These things happen.

"It was always a hard act to follow when he came back from Doncaster and he has been struggling with injuries."

But the Reds chief is delighted with Calcutt who he picked out as the danger man when Stanley defeated Bradford in the UniBond Cup final last season.

"It is a great signing for us. We are pleased to have him here.

"He has been at Bradford a couple of seasons and enjoyed it there but he wanted to come to an ambitious squad."

Meanwhile, striker James is in a determined mood - and it is not just for goals.

The Stanley striker was furious with himself last season after getting sent off twice. It meant that over the season he missed nine games because of suspension.

"I want to be really disciplined and ignore things that are going on around me," said the 30-year-old former Bury striker. "I missed nine games last season and I want to make sure I play a lot more this season."

Still, the hitman found the back of the net 25 times in Stanley's treble winning season - but even that disappointed him.

"I would have got more if I hadn't missed all those games," he said after finishing second to 34-goal Mullin. "I would have been level with Paul if I had played them all. But we have got a good partnership going.

"Paul works really hard. I have played with some strikers who are big and strong but don't work hard but Paul always gives 100 per cent and it is going well. I hope I can get more than 30 goals this season."

James knows the Reds need to start well after a dismal opening last time out when they lost four of their opening six games.

"We need a good start," said James. "If you get that then you can start looking forward, the first 10 games are important.

"But we are used to pressure after winning the three trophies last season (the Lancashire Marsden Trophy, the UniBond Cup and the Burton Shield) and really we would have been happy with two out of the three. But we just kept going.

"I don't think they will concern us as much this season though as we have done that now and the real aim is to win the league. We really want to go up and that is what John (Coleman) is looking to do. We would also like a good run in the FA Cup."

James has the benefit of League experience behind him and an appearance at Old Trafford when he played for Bury on his debut in the Worthington Cup.

But now he has some more former League men with him, with the signing of defenders Mark Sertori and Barry Shuttleworth and midfielder Mike Marsh, an FA Cup winner with Liverpool.

"Mike has his quiet and his loud times," laughed James. "As a player though he is top. He has played at a high level and it shows.

"Some of his passes are sharp and we aren't thinking as quickly as him and not always reacting. But we are learning and I think we can learn a lot off him.

"He is quality, he dominates the middle of the park and he can score some good goals as well. Hopefully it will be even better this season."