SPORTING ARCHIVES:

15 Years Ago

TONY Kelly gave Bruce Rioch the response he was looking for when he helped Wanderers crush Stoke 4-0 at Burnden Park. Three days earlier Rioch had slammed Kelly for being overweight and out of condition and gave him two weeks to “knuckle down”. So it was something of a surprise when his name appeared on the teamsheet — a pleasant surprise as it turned out as the “pass master”, alongside fellow Scouser Jason McAteer, destroyed the Potters. McAteer scored twice — either side of a Mixu Paatelainen strike — after John McGinlay had opened the scoring from the penalty spot just before half-time. It was Wanderers’ most impressive performance of the season, a display Rioch attributed in no small measure to the masterful Kelly. “I think he probably got a bigger shock than anyone else,” the manager said of his team selection. “It doesn’t pay to be too predictable. But the question is, will he respond? We’ve thrown the ball back into his court and just told him to get on with it.” Paul Gascoigne was back on the England scene, by special invitation of Terry Venables. The Lazio midfielder, recuperating after breaking his leg, was visiting a London specialist when he was invited to link up with the England players at the team’s Bisham Abbey headquarters. “It will give everyone a lift, especially Paul,” Venables said. Manchester United’s talismanic French striker Eric Cantona — reported to be earning £675,000 a year — refused to follow his luxury-loving Old Trafford team-mates into the Cheshire stockbroker belt and instead moved into a modest £80,000 house on a Boothstown housing estate. Westhoughton-born cricketer Mike Watkinson, on the verge of his first Test call, was named captain of Lancashire for the second year running.

10 Years Ago

RUMOUR had been rife all summer that Wanderers would have to sell their best players to balance the books and there was clearly something brewing, judging by Colin Todd’s comments after Per Frandsen’s impressive performance in a 3-3 draw against Birmingham City at the Reebok. The Dane scored twice in a powerful display that prompted the Bolton boss to declare: “If this club was to lose Per Frandsen it would be one of the biggest disappointments of my managerial career.” Frandsen gave what the headlines described as a Per-fect performance in the second half as Wanderers, 3-1 down at half time, stormed back to rescue a point. The dynamic midfielder scored his second of the game with a free-kick then won the penalty which Dean Holdsworth converted two minutes into added time — his twin brother David having scored Birmingham’s first. Bobby Robson was appointed manager of Newcastle United in succession to Ruud Gullit, taking the reins at St James’ Park after receiving 87 per cent of votes in a fans’ poll.

40 Years Ago

THE boxing world was in mourning at the news that former undefeated world heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano had been killed in an air crash. The Rock died when the plane he was in went down in woodland in Iowa on the eve of his 46th birthday. British and Commonwealth champion Henry Cooper described Marciano as “a proper gentleman”. “Boxing can’t afford to lose men like him. He was a credit to the sport.” Cooper said. Modern day heavyweight Jerry Quarry — ranked fourth in the world — knocked out former British champion 35-year-old Brian London in the second round of their contest in Oakland, California, and immediately announced he was retiring to become an actor. Wanderers turned in one of their worst performances of the season when they were held to a scoreless draw at home by Third Division Rotherham in the second round of the League Cup. The following morning team captain Dave Hatton, who played against Rotherham, joined Blackpool in a £40,000 deal. The big national football story concerned Wolves’ England Under-21 international Peter Knowles, who announced he was quitting football to become a full-time Jehovah’s Witness. Wolves manager Bill McGarry continued to select the £150,000-rated forward but knew it was only a matter of time before he would lose one of the game’s brightest young talents. “He is in the team for the next game,” McGarry said. “What happens after that remains to be seen. If he wants to give up football, what can we do?” Bolton United Harrier Mike Freary joined his club-mate Ron Hill in the British squad for the European Athletics Championships in Athens. Freary was one of three Brits selected to run in the 10,000m — Hill already having been selected to run the marathon. Bury and Radcliffe AC’s Barry Kelly was named in the 100m squad. British tennis ace Virginia Wade’s hopes of retaining her US Open title were shattered when she lost 7-5 6-0 to Australian Margaret Court in the semi-finals at Flushing Meadow. The mercurial Alex Murphy was man-of-the-match for the fourth game in a row as Leigh beat local rivals Wigan 14-6 at Hilton Park while Tonge beat Little Lever to secure their third Bolton Cricket League title.