SOCCER: Bury welcome their nearest neighbours Rochdale to Gigg Lane tomorrow for what will undoubtedly be an interesting Lancashire hot pot.

The Shakers have quietly risen to fourth place in the table, while the Dale have recovered from a calamitous run to win their last two games - not least beating table-toppers Hartlepool 4-0.

While the Bury camp has been buoyed by the signing of Canadian 20-year-old Terry Dunfield from Manchester City, the payback for manager Andy Preece is the dictum from the board room that he must reduce the size of his squad.

Preece has four players on a month-to-month contract basis, and who seem to be the most vulnerable, including Bury legend and former Claret, Lenny Johnrose, and it looks like there will be some bad Yuletide news for some households.