CHURCH official Jack Houldsworth knows how his Accrington counterparts must have felt when Ashwell Prince pulled out of his pro contract just three weeks before the start of the new season.

He sympathised, saying it is every club's worst nightmare to find themselves without a pro just days before the start of the new campaign.

Prince has been forced to sit the summer out with a shoulder injury.

In 1985 Church signed Simon O'Donnell but he was picked for the Australia side on March 26, meaning he couldn't come to England.

So the club set up a deal with West Indian Anthony Gray but by April 6 he had secured a contract with Surrey.

Just 10 days before the start of the new season they signed Ian Callen.

"It is a nightmare when that happens," said Houldsworth, whose club is looking forward to the arrival of New South Wales star Mark Higgs next Thursday.

"It happened to us in 1985 and I wouldn't want it to happen again.

"Our preparations are going very well," he said. "We have done some work on the ground, painted everything that can be painted and cut everything that can be cut.

"We were given a grant to renovate the scoreboard and pre-season is going quite well."

Church play Stand on Sunday and Lancaster the following Saturday. They begin the season at Nelson on April 21.

Two players who have spent the winter in Australia and New Zealand have returned and the club have been hearing good things about Higgs.

"Sam Tucker has been in New Zealand for six months, playing cricket in Canterbury.

"Nicky Westwell has been in Australia and New Zealand watching the test matches, he came back last Friday.

"One of our former pros, Brendan McArdle, has been over here this summer speaking very highly of Higgs. He says we are going to need a lot of balls this season because he will be hitting them all out of the ground."

Higgs, an Australia A international, will share a house with Oswaldtwistle Immanuel pro Rob Ashton.

"We asked him if he would share with Rob and he said yes. From what we hear he is a spirited young fellow!"

Accrington were still on the hunt for a new pro yesterday but chairman Peter Barratt said he was hoping to hear within the next 24 to 48 hours.