Archive

THE revolving door at Knowsley Road has been spinning this week with departures and arrivals both on and off the pitch - and more still in the offing. Trading places are Huddersfield Giants' 21-year-old centre Martin Gleeson who has signed a two-year

A LOOK at events, from amateur theatre to rambles through our beautiful countryside. Musical Evening with 'Fiddler,' Guide Conservative Club, School Lane, Guide, 8pm. Open Day, Blackburn School of Music, 53 Preston New Road, Blackburn, 10am-4pm. Bolton

AT a time when more cars are stolen than ever before it would seem that the tyre industry want to make up the shortfall by a purge on the cars that haven't been pinched. The Wood Pit and Lyme pit site is the place for the police to be doing car checks

Hartlepool United 0 - Bury 1 (on golden goal rule) THE Bury FC team coach resembled an advert for Colgate as it pulled away from Victoria Park on Tuesday night. Never have so many smiles been seen on so many faces. On the face of it a 1-0 win against

Ramsbottom United 6 Winsford United 0 RAMSBOTTOM got a much-needed confidence booster after just three minutes. Winsford defender Chris Pollitt misplaced a back pass and Russell Brierley cashed in to score with ease. Winsford enjoyed good possession,

RADCLIFFE BOROUGH will be far better equipped for life in the UniBond Premier Division if they achieve promotion this season, writes STEVE BOTT. Boro boss Kevin Glendon is convinced he has the sort of squad and set-up that could cope with life in the

BILLINGE lost their unbeaten tag in the Star Premier Division by being dumped 4-0 at Gerard Arms, but they still remain at the summit by one point over Gerard Arms. Goals from Mark Clancy, Andy Ledger, Gary Ball and Martin Hynes left Gerard the only unbeaten

IWOULD like to thank the kind person who found my shopping bag and handed it in to customer services in Morrison's supermarket, in Blackburn. MARGARET FERNHILL (Mrs), Blackburn (full address received).

NOW that allied forces have attacked the Taliban, wouldn't it be a good idea to support our troops by displaying the Union Jack together with the Stars and Stripes in shops and household windows? We should, after all, be behind our lads. MARTIN SAINSBURY

RECENT reports suggest that the 'bed blocking' problem is far worse than the Department of Health has admitted. Certainly, this is an issue that needs to be addressed if waiting lists are to drop. Perhaps the care of stroke patients holds the key to the

THREE Points clear after eight games would be a position most managers would settle for, but apply any cliche you like -- "It's a marathon not a sprint" or "They don't dish out trophies in October" to name two -- and there won't be any parties just yet

A CURRENT Premiership manager once told me that footballers were thick. He cited as an example the fact that the club had to keep his players' passports in the safe or risk pre-season planes taking off with three players and six members of staff. I always

BLACKBURN and District CTC warmed up for the defence of their National Team Hill Climb title after winning at The Rake in Ramsbottom. Ian Stott led a trio of riders to victory in the annual event that attracted 47 riders from across the country. The Clayton-le-Moors

RING rusty Rossendale blew away the cobwebs to run out convincing winners thanks mainly to an impressive performance from Pasquale Kornecki. The youngster top scored with a personal haul of 19 points in Rossendale's first match of the season. Their lack

DAVID McFarlane and Stuart Bell are the proud owners of new belts after Fight Night success at the Thompson Centre. McFarlane, of host club Burnley Black Knights, won the North West Kick Boxing Full Contact 69.1kg title while Bell of Blackburn-based Shin-Gi-Thai

FINDING out what Victorian children did before the days of PlayStation are (from left) Ben Morris (9), Jade Magson (9), and Jade Turner (10). They were enjoying the Bury Library, Art Gallery and Museum's centenary celebrations where a birthday cake that

BRINGING some Turkish delight to Bury Hospice is Amy Bulcock (10), a pupil at the town's Chantlers primary school. For she is pictured holding a Turkish note and thanks to Amy and her chums, Bury Hospice is now coining it in. Earlier this year, the Hospice

A WOMAN needed hospital treatment after a fire at her Bury home over the weekend. The 48-year-old was given oxygen by firefighters who were called to her house in Scholes Street at 6.30pm on Saturday (Oct 13). Flames caused severe damage to the kitchen

FIREWORKS have been launched from cars at passers-by in Radcliffe. So far no-one has been injured, but as Bonfire Night approaches, there are fears that it is only a matter of time. Mrs Eva Gore of Bury Road, witnessed the hooligans on Sunday afternoon

DRIVERS and staff at a Bury taxi firm have clocked up a National Lottery win of £136,000. The 30-strong syndicate at Bolton Street-based Farebay Taxi Service scooped the prize in the lottery draw earlier this month. They won the cash when their selection

A DROP in the level of water at one of the Whitehead lodges led to fears that they might be being drained. Work on the upper lodge near Starling, Ainsworth, lowered the water surface to three feet below its usual level, prompting speculation that it may

PRESTWICH Carnival brought a touch of sunshine to local voluntary groups as the rewards of the summer event were divided among the community. Members of the Sunshine Team, which replaced the traditional Prestwich Carnival Committee, held a presentation

THE 2003 World Cycle Speedway Championships will be staged at Astley and Tyldesley Cycle Speedway Club's Gin Pit track. The Cycle Speedway Commission of British Cycling deliberated over applications from several UK clubs at their quarterly meeting on

RMI will face a tough test if they are to make the First Round proper of this year's FA Cup after being paired with old adversaries Worksop Town in the final qualifying round. The Railwaymen will meet Chris Waddle's UniBond Premier League outfit at Hilton

BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness is closing in on West Brom defender Neil Clement. I can exclusively reveal Souness has made an enquiry about the 23-year-old left back as he looks to beef up his defensive resources. But Albion boss Gary Megson has rebuffed

THE name Wright will always occupy a special place in the hearts of all Arsenal fans everywhere. During the 1990s, a certain Ian Edward Wright inscribed his name in Gunners history by breaking Cliff Bastin's all-time goalscoring record. And now his namesake

St Helens Tn 3 Warrington 1 Ramsbottom 0 St Helens Tn 2 TWO great results in the space of four days have made Town buoyant again after a recent blip and at the final whistle at Ramsbottom on Saturday their record read: played ten, won eight, lost two.

FINAL sketches of how a derelict piece of land in Nelson could be transformed in to a community garden will be on view to the public next week. Groundwork East Lancashire, through its Active Neighbourhoods Project in Whitefield, is working with local

I JUST wanted to take this opportunity to thank the people of St Helens and the surrounding area for all the support that has been shown towards Americans living here, since the horrible events of September 11. Although I have lived here a little over

THE legends of yesteryear's rugby league test circuit are hitting the trail again with Great Britain's Lions of the 80s and 90s locking horns with the Aussie Invincibles from the 1982 and 1986 tours. The sides take the field at the Autoquest Stadium in

CLITHEROE manager Lee Sculpher will go on a scouting mission this weekend as his side haven't got a game. The new boss, who saw his side beaten for the first time in the nine matches he has been in charge midweek, will be taking the time out to have a

STOCKSBRIDGE Steelers may be bottom of the table but Chorley boss Ken Wright, pictured, left, is expecting a difficult game when his team crosses the Pennines tomorrow. "I saw them play at Radcliffe Borough on Tuesday night and they were beaten 5-0,"

A TIPPER wagon driver has appeared at Burnley Magistrates Court accused over the death of a schoolboy in a road accident. Stephen John Crossley, 41, of Burnley Road, Trawden, is charged with causing the death of seven-year-old Gary Lee Ormerod by dangerous

VETS and animal charities have been rallying round to help a grandmother pay medical bills for her poorly pooch. Gran of three Edna Cunnane has been worried sick about her black and white mongrel Arnie who has not been well since he was knocked down by

A NATURE lover dreams of banning anglers and turning part of the Bridgewater Canal into a wildlife reserve. But Alice Bergin's plan to secure fishing rights and turn a Leigh stretch of the waterway into a wildlife sanctuary looks set to flounder. Alice

MOUNTAIN and fell rescue volunteers are setting up a committee to campaign for the right to use police sirens when responding to emergency calls. The Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue team, who cover the whole of the Ribble Valley, say people's lives are

THE Ribble Valley has swept the board in this year's Lancashire Best Kept Village awards. The area scooped seven first place awards and 21 runners-up and highly commended accolades in the competition, seeing off rivals from more than 120 villages in the

THE revolving door at Knowsley Road has been spinning this week with departures and arrivals both on and off the pitch - and more still in the offing. Trading places are Huddersfield Giants' 21-year-old centre Martin Gleeson who has signed a two-year

BURY'S newest leisure venue played host to an impressive turn-out for the latest meeting of a corporate club. For the £12 million Village Hotel opened its doors to stage the September meeting of the Bury Business Club. Members packed the room for the

WHAT a performance! That's Bury-based Flexsys (UK) which has achieved success at the double! The Silver Street-based computer services company enhanced its tenth anniversary celebrations by capturing a top business "Oscar." Flexsys (UK) was named as the

BURNLEY defender Ian Cox admitted that the team has missed the creative talents of Glen Little and Alan Moore but he insisted: "Our squad is strong enough to cope." The current run of one point from four games has coincided with injuries to the two wide

Hare & Hounds 20 Culcheth 35 THIS was a game Hounds could and should have won, but they can still take heart from an encouraging performance against a Culcheth side which moved to the top of the table following this victory. Hounds started like a

LOCAL disabled people can harness a new service aimed at finding them the right job. The initiative is being pioneered by Remploy, one of the UK's largest employers of disabled people, which has a large factory in Eton Hill Road, Radcliffe. As an accredited

MODELS of the proposed £6 million Radcliffe market hall and museum complex will be unveiled next month. Internationally acclaimed architect John Pawson has completed designs for the exciting development and produced scale models of both the inside and

RURAL bus services operating in Summerseat, Ramsbottom and Tottington could be expanded if transport bosses win £900,000 worth of new funding. Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority (GMPTA) is to bid for the cash to improve public transport

THE acts of terrorism in the USA and the bombing of Afghanistan came under the spotlight at a special meeting. Bury North MP David Chaytor was the guest at the event, held at the Jinnah Day Care Centre in Bury. Also among the 50 guests were Bury Council

THE widow of murdered taxi driver Tariq Javed says she could never forgive the killers. Naheed Javed said: "My husband suffered a violent and brutal death and I will never be able to forgive those responsible. "We were a very happy and close family but

BURY-based Peelers Cricket Club hope the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain next week when they travel to Minorca to take on the island's representative team. The club, who play in the Rochdale District Midweek League and are based at Brooksbottoms

GORDON TAYLOR and the PFA are doing a great job. Who says so? None other than Radcliffe Borough manager Kevin Glendon, himself a former professional footballer with Manchester City and Burnley and a former PFA employee to boot. With public opinion firmly

MAVERICK American Terry Smith has quashed rumours that he is interested in taking over the Shakers. Reports in the Merseyside and Cheshire press this week linked the former Chester City chairman to the Gigg Lane club but he is adamant that there is no

A SHOPKEEPER took a pair of masked armed robbers to the cleaners -- foiling their raid by squirting washing-up liquid at them. Julie Walsh, of the Village Store, Holcombe Road, Helmshore, today spoke of her surprise at her defiance but said she was 'stupid

HAVE you noticed the amount of advertising on street lamps and safety railings around St Helens? Well my concern is that of car boot sale posters because when I organised a car boot for the school which my children attend I did this and was told if I

THE legends of yesteryear's rugby league test circuit are hitting the trail again with Great Britain's Lions of the 80s and 90s locking horns with the Aussie Invincibles from the 1982 and 1986 tours. The sides take the field at the Autoquest Stadium in

AN ambulanceman has told a jury of his "absolute shock" at being arrested and accused of raping a young mother after inviting her back to his home for a coffee. Trainee ambulance technician Mark Evans insisted to a jury that sexual acts had occurred with

SALMON spotted in a Chorley river for what is believed to be the first time in many years has led to a call for a special 'fish ladder' to be installed in time for next year's spawning. The sighting at the upper reaches of the River Yarrow was made by

Striker pair Dave Yorke-Robinson and midweek five-goal hero Russell Brierley have scored 26 between them so far this season -- and Kelly is worried about the day when either of his hot-shots are injured. He said: "I made a point of telling the players

The Dale Chairman took over at Dark Lane two years ago and has so far celebrated great success on the field with Jim McCluskie's side clinching promotion to the UniBond First Division last season and are currently in the top four in that league. And off

NELSON are in FA Vase action tomorrow desperately needing a win to revitalise their season. The Blues visit Lincolnshire side Louth United in the first round and need a tonic after a winless run of six games. It's been a traumatic time for manager John

The NWCL Second Division side knocked Bacup out of the Vase at this stage last year and then went on to beat them in the final of the Second Division Trophy. Boss Brent Peters wants to see his side get on the glory trail in what is the top competition

DARWEN'S player manager Steve Wilkes is calling on his side to show more consistency as they seek to climb the North West Counties second division table. After an impressive run of three straight wins Darwen lost 3-1 at home to Stone last weekend, a match

YOU'VE heard of Busby's Babes and Fergie's Fledglings but how about Lister's Little 'Uns! Colne boss John Lister has instilled a youth policy at the rejuvenated NWCL Division Two side, which has an average age of just 19. The young blood coursing through

The Dale chairman, who owns Connolly Demolitions, took over at Dark Lane two years ago and has so far celebrated great success on the field: Jim McCluskie's side clinched promotion last season and currently lie fifth in the UniBond First Division. And

DENIS Underwood is showing a ruthless streak as he bids to avoid the NWCL Division One relegation fight his side had last season. Harwood have had a good start to this campaign - they have only lost twice in the league - and will be looking to continue

Eastmoor Dragons 15 Thatto Heath Crusaders 22 Heath put on an outstanding defensive performance to clinch the two points against bottom of the table Eastmoor Dragons in Wakefield on Saturday. Heath began like a house on fire with winger Mark Hayton crossing

I TOTALLY agree that cycle lanes add to safety and that they do tend to slow the traffic. I am a cyclist, as well as a driver, and I have to ask what happens when a negligent cyclist or perhaps a horse rider on the road collides with a car and causes

I WAS outraged at the conviction or re-conviction of Michael Stone for the bludgeoning to death of a woman and her little daughter. I thought the basis of British justice was that real evidence had to be produced in order to secure a conviction. It seems

I HAVE written before about the nauseous Jeffrey Archer and make no apologies for writing again. When the Walter Mitty of Westminster was finally sent to jail I thought that justice would be dealt out fairly and equally. It has not been! It was obvious

ON an early October night at Gigg Lane, under the floodlights, you don't have to be a football lover to get your money's worth. Before the kick-off, the lights shine down on the emerald green of the grass; poets reach for their pens; artists think wistfully

STAR Wars fans have succeeded in making Jedi a recognised religion, after they answered an appeal to put it down as their religion on this year's census forms. May the force be with them.

I HAVE visions of Leigh children being swamped with giggling bunnies that shake and squeal "that tickles" this Christmas. I was buying some iron-on repair kit in Woolies on Tuesday when I was swamped by mums and grans grabbing bags full of the newly delivered

I WAS driving home on Sunday morning when I was held up by a parade of uniformed organisations, marching from school to church. They were carrying Christmas-wrapped shoe boxes, obviously full of gifts for the less-fortunate children of the Third World

A VAN driver was brutally beaten with hammers during a hijack on Wednesday night. Police are now hunting the three masked men who took the Amtrac delivery lorry at traffic lights at the junction of Rochdale Road, Bury, and Heywood Street. Motorists watched

FOR the second successive week the Leigh Soccer League had a game abandoned through a bad injury. After 55 minutes of Horns Inn's home Redwaters Coronation Cup Round One tie with Fir Tree Rangers Reserves a player of the home team, Andy Griffiths, suffered

Leigh RMI 2 Scarborough 1 (Leigh win on Golden Goal) RMI made a dramatic late comeback to progress to the next round of the LDV Vans Trophy where they are certain to meet a Football League side writes Martyn Hindley Leigh looked destined to be eliminated

RADCLIFFE BORO...5 STOCKSBRIDGE PARK STEELS...0 TOP of the morning! That's how Radcliffe Borough's players must have been feeling when they got out of bed on Wednesday writes STEVE BOTT. The night before they had turned in a five-star performance that

Prestwich Heys 3 East Manchester 3 AIR MILES Manchester League Premier Division BLACKPOOL Pleasure Beach better watch out, for it has a new rival for the best white knuckle ride in town, writes Steve Howard. The Prestwich Heys rollercoaster ride that

1216: King John of England died after over-indulging on peaches and ale at Swinehead Abbey in Lincolnshire. Some have said King John's spirit roams Surrey as a werewolf. 1745: Irish author and satirist, Jonathan Swift, whose works include Gulliver's Travels

MYSTIC MEG: Within the next ten years Fairfield General Hospital would become Bury's main hospital if the Area Health Authority was to cope effectively with an expected increase in the population of the borough. PAT ON THE BACK: Bury firemen tackled one

THE Saturday Message by Rev Anthony Bedell (LET, October 13) was a wonderful piece of writing and the first time I have read or heard such direct and pertinent comments from a member of the clergy. Long may he continue to shed the light of his insight

WILL Councillor D Pearson (Letters, October 8) let us know precisely which civil rights we should be willing to surrender and explain exactly for each one we give up how we will be made safer? I personally would rather live in complete freedom and accept

IAN Hodgson's remarks (Letters, October 9) about identity cards being the thin end of the wedge were a superb blending of fact and fiction, with a little paranoia thrown in. However, back on earth, the following needs to be considered -- the Government

IT is misleading of Councillor Paul Browne (LET, October 12) to suggest that no money is targeted at Darwen's Sudell Ward to help the area. Sudell Ward was one of three quite tightly defined areas in Blackburn with Darwen eligible to receive European

But seeing as he has quickly established himself as one of the best 24 hour racers in the country, the Barrowford biker gets little chance for a bit of 'shut eye'. For if he's not racing, he's training and if he's doing neither then he's planning his

CELEBRATIONS to mark the harvest festival provided food for thought for children at Bury Grammar School (Girls). Pupils of years three to six in the junior department held a special service followed by the donation of food items to the Women's Royal Voluntary

ELDERLY people in Bury are being advised not to be left out in the cold. Nurse advisers at NHS Direct is re-inforcing the message that the Government offers free flu immunisations to people aged 65 and over. Pensioners or those concerned about an older

BINGO is back in Bury. After a three-year absence, the popular game is to make a "Kwik" comeback after planning bosses formally approved a scheme for a new bingo hall. The facility will be created within the existing Rochdale Road Neighbourhood Centre

FRENCH duo Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira may be the ones who consistently hog the headlines at Highbury. But inspirational wide-man Robert Pires has added his own touch of Gallic flair as the Gunners chase honours both at home and abroad. Pires --

SOMETIMES it's hard to see the benefits of exercise, but a new campaign launched by Burnley's leisure centres is about to change all that. A 'Dedication and Reward' promotion is being run, which will give prizes to loyal customers and play a part in promoting

BOTTOf-the-table Bury face fellow Division Two strugglers Chesterfield at Gigg Lane, where the Shakers have yet to win this season. Recently transfer-listed Darren Bullock has had his contract terminated for personal reasons, while teenage star Chris

IN reply to Skateboard and BMX facilities in Queens Park. Please NO. Some residents in Horace Street have through the summer months put up with children/teenagers breaking house windows and cars, lighting fires, throwing bottles, throwing stones at cars

TOP-OF-THE-TABLE Stand travel to second-placed Formby in NWCL Division Two. The newcomers have won 12 of their first 15 games in the division and Formby look like the team to challenge them - if anyone can. The Worthington Challenge Trophy holders lie

Prescot Cables 6 Abbey Hey 2 Prescot produced a Jeckyll and Hyde performance against a physical Abbey Hey side. Cables took the lead after three minutes when Garforth headed home a Benson free kick. McAllister could have made it two a minute later but

HOSPITAL chiefs are hoping their new £86 million hospital gets the royal seal of approval when it opens in over three years' time. The massive extension to Queen's Park Hospital, which will bring all the services from Blackburn Royal Infirmary on to the

Pilkington Recs 20 Orrell St James 30 RECS bowed out of the Lancashire Cup in a game that was almost a carbon copy of a league meeting between these two sides four weeks ago. Again Recs went into a healthy early lead only to see the visitors claw their

GET smart and win a car! That's the invitation from the Bury branch of the Alliance and Leicester. The Rock-based company is running a free prize draw to win one of the new Smart cars. And the scheme is to encourage visitors to inquire about A & L's

BURY man Anthony Fishwick sold himself during a motorbike sale with a customer. For the client was so impressed by the 27-year-old salesman that he asked Anthony to join his team. Now, he has been appointed as an executive within the sales team of Nelson-based

TWO men of steel who in just five years have established the biggest company of its kind in the North West have truly shown their metal. For Whitefield Fabrications, run by by Gary Hayhoe and Ray Bruni, emerged as runner-up in the Best Performing Bury

BURNLEY'S staff and players refused to get carried away when they were beating all-comers in the early weeks of the season. It is therefore no surprise that there is no panic in the camp after a run of one point from a possible 12. Far from it in fact

Walney Central 14 Leigh East 11 LEIGH East could not be blamed if they felt they had been robbed of a National Conference Premier Division victory over Walney Central. With literally seconds left on the clock, East, after weathering the storm of some

TEENAGER Jamie Leinhardt snapped a "purrfect" picture of his pet kitten, Poppy. And now the 14-year-old is like a cat that got the cream after being named as the Junior Photographer of the Year by the Cats Protection League. Jamie, of Ferndale Avenue,

SEDGLEY PARK will be without Kiwi ace Rob Moon when they travel to Esher tomorrow. The trip to Surrey will be a difficult one as Esher are currently lying fourth in the table and the absence of Achilles injury victim Moon adds to the degree of difficulty

SOUTHPORT CC's Jim Henderson made it a hat-trick of successes over Ramsbottom's Rake course when he won the Lancashire Road Club's open hill climb on Sunday. For Henderson, whose finishing time was 2 minutes 24.5 seconds, ten seconds outside the course

BLACKBURN boss Graeme Souness is closing in on West Brom defender Neil Clement. I can exclusively reveal Souness has made an enquiry about the 23-year-old left back as he looks to beef up his defensive resources. But Albion boss Gary Megson has rebuffed

YOU need leather balls to play rugby league - except in Australia where they have learned to play with no balls at all! By giving in to a fear of flying the Australian Rugby League team are giving the terrorists exactly what they want. As an American

Henley 54 Liverpool St Helens 14 THIS was a disappointing end to the National Cup run as LSH crashed to a heavy defeat against a Henley side two division higher. To suggest that the difference in status was reflected in the scoreline would be misleading

MOTHER-of-three Evelyn Lund, 53, who had moved to France with her second husband Robert to start a new life, went missing with her Toyota Landcruiser just after Christmas 1999. She had spent an afternoon with English friends living nearby. Police searched

WE are writing in support of the proposed plans put forward by Railtrack for a Rail Freight Distribution facility on the former Parkside Colliery site at Newton-le-Willows. The environmental impacts have been thoroughly assessed and approximately 40%

I AM delighted to have received so much interest in the Reading Families Millennium Award scheme and hope that many more readers will contact us to apply for a Millennium Award of up to £3,000 to support ideas for getting local families reading together

I RECENTLY attended Bury Magistrates Court. I was there because in December last year my car was run into whilst parked. The driver concerned in the incident left the scene, but there was a witness. The police took my statement and that of the witness

THOUGHTLESS thieves and vandals have made a mess of Tyldesley's Lighthouse charity shop, and they still can't leave it alone. For months, the windows have been boarded up, and this week, raiders even had to break through those, just to steal a clock.

STINGRAY cameras are being introduced to catch road tax dodgers. The cameras, which can snap a number plate at high speeds, are the latest armoury in the war against the motorist. Anyone whose plate when checked shows non-payment of tax will face fines

NOW I know why our streets are a mess. Teenagers admit they drop litter because it is not cool to bin it. Yet another survey, this time among 13-16 year olds, revealed that this age group is the worst culprits, with boys more worried than girls that using

I'VE been asked plenty of stupid questions in my life -- and asked a few myself. A new book, The Little Book of Dumb Questions, by Michael Powell, brings back memories of some of those you've wanted to ask yourself, but been afraid to in case people thought

BURY have finally run out of patience with midfielder Darren Bullock and released him. The Shakers decided to terminate his contract because Bullock has failed to regain his fitness after suffering a catalogue of injuries. He is also said to be suffering

RFU Senior Knockout Cup Sedgley Park 22 Coventry 40 WITH just 11 minutes remaining Sedgley led their illustrious opponents 22-16, but in the end the power and the pace of the Division One side proved decisive and four tries in the closing stages put the

Well Blackburn Sunday League's own Stat Man John Haydock has bravely owned up. After Longshaw were held to their second consecutive 0-0 draw at the weekend, the question was raised as to when was the last time such a sequence happened. Being the league

AN ambulanceman has told a jury of his "absolute shock" at being arrested and accused of raping a young mother after inviting her back to his home for a coffee. Trainee ambulance technician Mark Evans insisted to a jury that sexual acts had occurred with

YOUNGSTERS are being invited to banish their half-term blues by putting their spare time to good use. Bury-based children's charity Barnardo's is on the look-out for unwanted toys, games, clothes and any other saleable goods to help pile the shelves high

BLUEBELLS will be in bloom at Gypsy Brook next spring after youngsters dug in to add a splash of colour to the site. Around a dozen youngsters from Hoyle Nursery, Chesham Fold Road, pitched in with parents and staff to plant bulbs at the Chesham nature

Widnes Albion A 25 Clock Face Miners 24 A DROP goal in the last minute of the game by Albion's Danny Doughty secured both points for the Widnes side, after Clock Face had fought to bring the scores level. With the game well into the first half and Clock

LIFE just doesn't get any better than it did for me last Sunday. First we stuck seven past West Ham at Ewood in front of England boss Sven Goran Eriksson. Then I got the chance to meet Oasis after their gig in Glasgow later that night and I haven't stopped

THE Bishop of Burnley has called on the town's council to do their utmost to repair the damage done to families by the Michelin factory closure. This comes as Michelin confirmed they will be seeking to find a buyer for the Bancroft Road site over the

NELSON football club's Albert Barnes has had his long years of service to the club and soccer recognised by the North West Counties League. Barnes has ben with the club for the past 24 years and has served as chairman for the last four. His retirement

PADIHAM boss Graham Howarth warned his side would give someone a good beating -- now he hopes last weekend's thumping 5-1 win against Holker will kick start their season. The Arbories side travel to Oldham Town tomorrow for their NWCL Division Two clash

FORMER Whitefield man Richard O'Sullivan is certainly a smart cookie! Irish-born Richard (38), was declared as the Business Person of the Year at the Bolton and Bury Business Awards 2001 held at the Reebok Stadium. He is managing director of Millie's

THERE was Royal company for a Bury firm when it attended a training session for a forthcoming Export Explorer trade mission to Finland. Anne-Marie Baker, financial director of Bury-based Advantage International Corp Ltd, and colleague Janette Hodgson,

IAN Cox and Bruce Dyer started their football careers together at Crystal Palace and tomorrow afternoon they will go head to head for Burnley and Barnsley at Turf Moor. Clarets defender Cox admitted: "I know how dangerous Bruce can be, he has a lot of

BARNSLEY visit Turf Moor tomorrow with the most consistent away record in the country this season - they have lost every match. Add to that statistic the fact that they have only scored one goal on their travels and the Tykes would appear to be the ideal

Bold Miners 28 Bank Quay Bulls 20 BANK Quay opened the scoring in the first minute to shock Bold. Their nippy scrum half shot through a gap to score a fine try. After a fine run from Wes Singleton, Ian Honey put Bold in front when he scored under the

Leigh Miners Rangers 27 Wigan St Patrick's 14 MINERS Rangers moved to the top of the National Conference Premier Division when a solid, all-round performance accounted for derby rivals St Pat's in a Friday night floodlit cracker at Twist Lane. In front

BURY South MP Ivan Lewis is on the move! But people visiting his Prestwich-based office will not have far to travel as he has set up "home" just a few hundred yards down the road. Mr Lewis and his staff have transferred their base at 513 Bury New Road

THE vision of how to build a brighter future for Bury was finally unveiled this week. Around 150 people were present for the launch of Bury's Community Strategy at Bury Town Hall's Elizabethan Suite. The plan is the culmination of a two year consultation

THE mother of a 14-year-old girl who vanished after a family row spoke of her relief at finding her daughter. Gail Fotherby had an emotional reunion with Nicola -- more than 20 hours after her disappearance was logged with police. But police spoke to

Rams Utd 6 Winsford Utd 0 STRIKER Russell Brierley had a night to remember with five goals as the Rams demolished Winsford. A best result of the season for Mike Kelly's side and the star striker took his campaign tally to 15 with goals on 3, 43, 57, 69

BURY boss Andy Preece has paid tribute to Jon Newby after his goal drought came to an end at Hartlepool this week. The Shakers star striker hadn't been on the scoresheet since the opening game of the season - a worrying twelve games without finding the

BURNLEY defender Ian Cox admitted that the team has missed the creative talents of Glen Little and Alan Moore but he insisted: "Our squad is strong enough to cope." The current run of one point from four games has coincided with injuries to the two wide

Adlington 14 Blackbrook 24 BROOK'S stand off Andy Shaw produced a 20 point haul for his side as they went two points clear at the top of Division One. The visitors had to come from behind as two unconverted tries gave the home side an early eight point

A RETAILER was accused of showing 'no regard' for Bacup after pulling out of plans to demolish its redundant store and redevelop the site for car parking. Chairman of the Corporate Policy Committee Coun John Holt said: "They have shown no regard for the

THE disappearance of Darwen woman Evelyn Lund sparked a massive police operation, which took in French, Spanish and British officers. But despite an extensive search of waterways covering more than a 300-mile area, her husband has not been happy with

BABY boys in East Lancashire whose families want them circumcised for religious reasons, are in danger of opting for backstreet operations, because no health trust in the area will do them. Every year there are at least 300 admissions to local hospitals

FORMER England ace Nigel Clough today identified Accrington Stanley as one of Burton Albion's leading challengers for the UniBond Premier League title as the sides prepare to meet in Staffordshire tomorrow. Clough, now player-manager of Albion, is well

STANLEY boss John Coleman is hoping his strikers can do what he always did - score at Burton Albion. The Reds travel to Nigel Clough's table topping side tomorrow knowing it will be a test of how far they have come since they have refound their form.

I NOTICED the Bury FC flag being displayed behind the goal when David Beckham scored the equaliser for England against Greece recently. Will the Bury FC players now draw inspiration from this and, like a certain player, give 101 per cent on the pitch

ANTI-NOISE protesters won a landmark victory in the European Court of Human Rights despite the scathing, dissenting judgement by the only British judge on the panel. He reportedly stated that the residents concerned "could easily move". This man's crass

THE 60's favourite, the Morris Traveller, is making a comeback. BMW is to build a 21st century retro version of the model which was famous for its wood framing. But sadly, this will be replaced with cheaper more durable plastic. The latest Traveller will