DAISY Hill suffered at the hands of vandals this week - again raising the question of just how difficult it is to keep soccer clubs going.

Vandals broke into the garage at the club's New Sirs ground, took out the lawnmower, dragged it all the way down to the training pitch and just set fire to it!

Being full of petrol, it was a totally wrecked causing £4,000 worth of damage.

Theft would have been bad enough, so would the damage to the garage door for that matter. But this was just a deliberate attempt to deal a telling blow to what is one of our most respected, decent, family clubs!

Officials down at New Sirs do their best to provide a smashing club, good facilities and youth teams for the local community. Every season the Westhoughton Charity Cup is run there raising thousands of pounds for local deserving causes. Yet this is how all those decent, hard working people get repaid.

It's disgusting!

Atherton Town players Rob Holgate and Steve Dixon have recently been attracting the interest of a Bolton Wanderers scout.

Both were watched last weekend in the fixture against Monton Amateurs but had little opportunity to impress in what was a very one-sided game in Town's favour as the 4-1 scoreline testifies. NORTH West non League soccer was devastated last week with the loss of one of the true characters of recent years.

Les Rigby, former Horwich RMI manager and for the last two years a director of Chorley, died in his sleep at his home. This was within hours of watching Chorley seal a place in the quarter finals of the FA Umbro Trophy with a home 4-3 victory over Boreham Wood. Les started out in the early 1960s as manager of Rossendale United before moving on to Wigan Athletic, then in the Northern Premier League, and subsequently Altrincham, Morecambe, Chorley, Barrow and Horwich.

Under his leadership the Latics got to Wembley in 1973 but arguably one of his greatest achievements in management care in 1968 when he steered RMI to the final of the top national competition, the G-MAC Cup, to take on the mighty Weymouth.

Officials from the two clubs met after the semi-finals to toss a coin for choice of venue and Les' commented on calling correctly of "they're in for a culture shock coming to Horwich" proved correct with his RMI team running out victors. "It's like Rochale winning the FA Cup," he said. That amazing side featured Mike Allison (still RMI), Brian Hart (former RMI manger now assistant manager-player at Warrington Town), Jimmy Mitchell, Paul Booth, Lee Howarth (went on to play professionally), Ian Senior (Ashton United), Chris Walmesley (RMI), Ian Street, Phil Power (Macclesfield and current England semi pro International), Faz Page, Neil McLachlan (currently Stoneclough over 40s), Glenn Walker (St Helens Town) and Mark Schofield (RMI).

The "giantkilling" win was even more remarkable as keeper Mike Allison was injured in the first few minutes and had to be taken to hospital, leaving skipper Hart to take over in goal! Les was at Grundy Hill for two seasons, taking over from Tony Webber in February 1987, when, despite the fact that he more than doubled the club's points tally in the few games that remained under his charge, a bottom place finish in the then one division Northern Premier League saw an enforced application for re-election.

The successful application led to a much more respectable finish the following year of 13th place . Sadly Les' first heart attack saw him forced to relinquish his post through ill health.

RMI Chairman Chris Healey said: "We were absolutely devastated at the time when Les had to stand down as our manager. I'm not too sure what his role was at Chorley but I think we may well have been his last club as a full manager. He was an absolutely superb fellow."

Unibond League Secretary Duncan Bayley, who was sat with Les at what was tragically to be his last game, paid tribute: "He was one of the great characters of the last 20 or 30 years, making a significant contribution to the management side of non League.

Former RMI secretary, and "Jack of All Trades", at the time of Les' reign, Harold Taylor commented: "He'll be sadly missed in football. He was a great bloke, a good friend and well-respected everywhere. As a manager, he was absolutely fantastic and he had a marvellous rapport with the players."

"When we were going to play that final against Weymouth, he got wind of the fact that their manager, Stuart Morgan, was in the crowd watching us at one of our matches leading up to it. He rooted him out afterwards and said: "Come on Stuart, this is a good time to toss up for where we play it." He flicked the coin up in the air but didn't call. He just said: "We're at home!" That was Les all over - a real character!" New sports area aids community OFFICIALS at Radcliffe Borough are delighted with the news that the Sports Council has awarded them a Lottery grant of £84,776.

That will go towards the £130,425 needed to build a floodlit synthetic surfaced multi-sports area which will be used by local schools and community groups.

The project has been masterminded by ex Atherton LR coach, Gerry Luczka who was instrumental in developing a similar facility on the Johnson Fold Estate in Bolton.

The grant is conditional on the Football Association providing £25,00 from its hard play area scheme while the club will be chipping in with the balance.

This news is a major boost to an area which lacks recreational facilities for the local community and will be used not only for football, but also for other sports.

When constructed, the sports area will be available seven days a week from 9am till 10pm all the year round.

This underlines the club's ambition to be one of the top non-League clubs in the country by the turn of the century,

"This is only the beginning," said club chairman Bernard Manning. "We have plans for a new stand, changing rooms and additional car parking."

Football manager Kevin Glendon was delighted at the prospect of having a home based training facility for his players.

"Ever since I joined the club we have had to move from one place to another in the search for decent facilities. This will make life so much easier for everyone."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.