RAMSBOTTOM UNITED skipper Warren Brierley has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

Brierley damaged his knee in the game against Clitheroe back on August 29. He collided with the advertising boards at the back of the Railway End goal and required extensive treatment on the pitch before being stretchered off to hospital.

Initial examination revealed no serious damage to the knee and a few weeks later Brierley returned to training only to suffer a recurrence in a five-a-side session.

He has since been for a scan on the injured knee and that showed he has damaged his cruciate ligament, just about the most serious injury a footballer can suffer.

Warren will now undergo surgery, which will hospitalise him for a couple of weeks, then it will be a matter of recuperation, which will rule him out for the rest of this season.

Another injury victim, left-sided defensive player, Mike Langhorn, is standing by for a return to action after surgery on a broken nose.

Langhorn would have been available for the rain-hit game against Kidsgrove last Saturday and is now keeping his fingers crossed that Saturday's game at Clitheroe gets the go-ahead.

The Rams Christmas party should go with quite a swing. For not only have they got Frankie Vaughan in their ranks, they have now gone out and signed up Barry White as well!

White is a 22-year-old midfielder who was playing with Colne in the North West Counties Second Division. Ramsbottom boss Ken Bridge is also on the trail of Mossley right back Phil Porter and hopes to add him to the Riverside ranks soon.