Dom Telford Joins Backgrounder

DOM Telford has trod a well-worn path to become Ryan Lowe’s fourth signing of the summer.

Like the manager, young forward Dom was part of the successful Bury set-up that defied the odds to win promotion from Sky Bet League Two last season.

Two of the 22-year-old’s team mates at Gigg Lane – midfielder Danny Mayor and defender Will Aimson – have already become Pilgrims, and Dom will be also welcomed at the Theatre of Greens by three other members of the Shakers' back-room staff: assistant-manager Steven Schumacher; Head of Fitness and Conditioning John Lucas; and Performance Analyst Jimmy Dickinson.

Dom played 48 times for Bury during a campaign in which they not only finished as League Two’s runners-up and the country’s leading league goalscorers, but also reached the semi-final of the EFL Trophy.

It was in the EFL Trophy that Dom really came into his, scoring seven goals in Bury’s seven games – a goal every 69 minute – and assisting two more.

His six League Two goals came from 16 starts, including four during the promotion run-in, as he also made 22 appearances from the substitutes’ bench.

Prior to joining Bury last summer, Dom had a similar experience on a season-long League One loan at Bristol Rovers: his late substitute appearance in the Pirates’ 2-1 home win against Argyle was one of 20 from the bench.

His four starts included three in the EFL Trophy, in which he first demonstrated his fondness for the competition by scoring twice on his first starting appearance.

Burnley-born Dom was just 17 when he made his senior debut, for Blackpool at Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the 2014-15 Championship season.

It was not until December of that campaign that he followed that up, coming off the bench to score the equalising goal in a home game against Rotherham United.

He made the Seasiders’ starting 11 nine times during the campaign, being employed in a variety of forward roles, form which won him a move to Stoke City.

In three formative seasons at the Britannia Stadium, Dom was limited to one appearance of note for the Potters, in the EFL Trophy, of course, and spent the final year of his stay – 2017-18 –season on loan to Bristol Rovers.

Dom is being sponsored this season by loyal supporters Richard, Laura and Joe Woodward.