Archive
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Forget city bid and stay a town
THROUGHOUT this year and beyond, I have heard many fevered reports of plans to give Bolton City Status. Personally I don't hold with any of it and would like to give the people of Bolton the opportunity to support the idea that Bolton remains a town.
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Police won't go soft on speeding
IT is reported that the police are going soft on drugs. To balance the equation, will they also go soft on speeding offences? I very much doubt it, as speeding offences rake in a great deal of money in fines. And, now that they are allowed to keep this
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Leniency will just encourage yobs
I WRITE in support of John Thorpe's letter (BEN, November 17) regarding youth crime and the new sentencing guidelines for youth courts. We who are "streetwise", know that such leniency will encourage the yobs to perpetrate further outrage. Mr Thorpe's
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THE BEN SAYS: Class caution
A PRIMARY school in Bolton may be closing. And, despite the fact that a report said that Longsight Primary School in Harwood "failed to provide an acceptable standard of education", parents and local councillors have vowed to fight the plan. Education
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Carly: Police poster appeal
POSTERS appealing for information into the murder of teenage prostitute Carly Bateman in The Haulgh in Bolton are to be distributed throughout the town this weekend. Carly's naked body was discovered in an alley behind Crawford Avenue in the early hours
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Saha aims to be a cut above the rest
LUIS Saha is heading back to his best - thanks to his lucky blonde haircut. The Fulham striker scored his first goal since August 22 against Newcastle last Saturday. And he put his change in fortune down to his new bleached look. Saha has struggled to
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Sam's anxious over fate of TV clash
SAM Allardyce fears he may not know until the last minute whether Wanderers' Premiership game at Spurs will fall victim to the threatened players' strike. The Reebok boss hopes the issue will be resolved before the December 3 fixture, which has been selected
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Fulham 'bad boy" aims to make his mark
FULHAM striker Luis Boa Morte will be looking to return from suspension to haunt Wanderers once again tomorrow. The Portuguese hit man made his mark in a big way against the Reebok men last season - and for wildly contrasting reasons. He scored just seconds
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Cash in on in-form Ricketts
Straight from the Horses Mouth by Fred Done THE FA Cup provided a few notable shocks in last weekend's first round proper. Ryman league leaders Canvey Island caused the biggest upset with a 1-0 win at Wigan and now face struggling Northampton in the second
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Sam's a jealous guy
SAM Allardyce confessed to the sin of envy today as he measured the massive gulf in the financial fortunes of Wanderers and Fulham - rivals in last season's promotion battle. The Reebok boss continues to operate under severe financial constraints that
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Nightmare on my doorstep
WHEN Mary Smith bought a new apartment in the centre of Bolton, she looked forward to having all the major amenities on her doorstep. The flat was perfect for work, handy for all the major stores and superbly positioned for the nightlife. But her dreams
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Stereophonics, Manchester Evening News Arena
IT WAS flawless, Kelly Jones belted out hit after hit with mechanical-like efficiency. Stereophonics have been accused of failing to find that special rapport with the crowd. And last night, lead singer Mr Jones made obvious attempts to connect with his
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Cinderella, English National Ballet, Opera House, Manchester. Runs until Saturday.
NEVER mind poor Cinders almost missing the Ball, half of last night's audience were in a race against time after battling through Manchester's traffic-choked city centre. A combination of pre-Christmas shopping and Miss Saigon at the Palace left ballet
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Safety check
PARENTS can get a free child car seat check at Urchins Baby World, Bury Road, Breightmet, tomorrow from 10am to 4pm.
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Appeal for dead man's relatives
AN appeal has been made for the relatives of a Bolton man who was found dead at his home to come forward. William Peter Forster was discovered at his flat in Park Road by his landlady yesterday. His death is believed to be from natural causes and is not
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Teenager carried baseball bat
A BOLTON teenager appeared before magistrates charged with being in possession of an offensive weapon -- a baseball bat. Daniel Glynn Jones, aged 18, of Bury Road, Tonge Fold, is alleged to have been in possession of the bat on November 21. The bat was
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Screwdriver assault case man for trial
A BOLTON man appeared before magistrates charged with attempting to assault a police officer with a screwdriver. Anthony Nicholson, aged 37, of the Salvation Army Hostel on Duke Street, Bolton, is accused of one count of burglary and one count of attempted
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Car landed on its roof
TWO men were lucky to escape with their lives when a car collided with a lamp post and flipped onto its roof earlier today. The £50,000 Mercedes soft top, which is believed to have been stolen, was on a bend when it crashed into a lamp post and demolished
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Holden to stay with Latics
DEAN Holden, who was in the second month of a loan spell with Oldham, has agreed to stay with the Latics until the end of the season.
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Having a ball for charity
BOLTON Busting Breast Cancer is among a host of charities to share in a staggering £17,000 raised by a charity ball. Pals Lisa Maloney, Sue Hardman, Alison Ryan and Sharon Alexander have presented our campaign with a cheque for £1,300. The prestigious
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Firefighters come to aid of house flood man
A HOUSE was partially flooded last night causing damage to carpets, furniture and a television. A man had returned to his terraced house on May Street, Golborne, after being away and had turned on the stop tap to the main water supply at around 7.30 pm
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Pay rise protest by tax staff
BOLTON tax office workers staged a one day protest today over a pay rise dispute and "unreasonable" working conditions. They are in dispute with the Inland Revenue who have imposed a two per cent pay rise on workers and changed their working conditions
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Concern over dangerous junction box
WORRIED Farnworth residents are pressing for urgent work to be carried out on a traffic light junction box. Since vandals pushed over the metal box at the entrance to a passageway between Lichfield Close and Plodder Lane, local people have been concerned
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Nat signs in for Wartime Wanderers book
WANDERERS' President Nat Lofthouse will be in the club shop with the joint authors of Wartime Wanderers - the dramatic story of the players who went to war - to sign copies of the book before the Fulham game on Saturday. Click HERE to see our Wartime
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Lawyer Gudni 'optimistic' over strike decision
QUALIFIED lawyer and central defender supreme, Gudni Bergsson is "fairly optimistic" that a strike will be averted. The Wanderers ace said: "I think all of us are hoping for things to settle and be settled." Read Gordon Sharrock's full interview with
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Chocolate theft
A MAN admitted stealing more than £35 worth of chocolate when he appeared before Bolton magistrates. Lee Alexander Linden, aged 26, of Knutshaw Crescent, Bolton, pleaded guilty to stealing £39.98 worth of chocolate from Woolworth's store and also admitted
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Leukaemia teenager faces US mercy trip
A TEENAGER battling to beat leukaemia has started his third session of chemotherapy which will decide if he is to travel to America. Daniel Berry, aged 17, who was diagnosed with a rare form of the disease three months ago, has had two previous sessions
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Male rape victim 'plied with strange drink' claim
A BOLTON man was raped by another man after being plied with "strange-tasting" vodka which made him lose consciousness, a court heard. The 24-year-old, who cannot be named, told Bolton Crown Court the last thing he remembered was Peter Williams unzipping
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Free reflectors for schools in bid to cut accidents on roads
BOLTON primary school children will stay safer on the roads this winter after a scheme to issue them all with reflectors. The Nationwide Building Society is providing every young child in the country with the "Cats' Eyes" reflectors for them to wear on
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Use Inter result to spark league progress - Burley
IPSWICH Town, still smarting from last Sunday's home defeat by Wanderers, pulled off an historic 1-0 first leg victory over Inter Milan in their UEFA Cup third round clash at Portman Road. Now 8,000 fans will make the trip to the San Siro in the hope
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UNISON accused of violating freedom of speech in newsletter
A LEADING trade union has been accused of imposing "heavy-handed big brother censorship" on freedom of speech. A monthly newsletter was withdrawn by UNISON bosses because it was critical of its actions, it has been claimed. UNISON chiefs, though, say
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Robbie may quit if shown red card
BURY FC's Robbie the Bobby has threatened to hang up his boots if the Football Association goes ahead with plans to introduce a code of conduct for mascots. The controversial Gigg Lane cheerleader, real name Jonathan Pollard, said he will not enjoy dancing
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Ceremony packed out for successful school leavers
A BOLTON school is continuing to send out "able and caring" young people into society. And this year is no exception for leavers at top-ranked Canon Slade as the school said farewell to its Year 11 pupils after exam and sporting success. The packed leaving
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Got to be glassnost
A BOLTON conservatory roof company has entered the Russian market. K2, based at the Burnden Works in Burnden Road, has signed a long-term partnership agreement with Russian conservatory company Albion 2 Ltd. The firm's president, Yuri Ossipov, says home
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Fun on the Web with firm's new Mouse Club
BOLTON business d2 Digital by Design is launching a new website and club for children aged between three and six. It expects the Mouse Club to be a great hit for children in nursery schools and homes throughout the country. The website includes fun stories
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Surge on the ocean wave for cruise shares
THE markets are still lacking any real direction following various reports coming out this week. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released a survey which forecast that Britain is set to avoid recession while the rest of
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Record signing misses Reebok clash
FULHAM's club record £11.5m French striker Steve Marlet is the only absentee at the Reebok Stadium tomorrow. Marlet is still hobbling as he recovers from a compressed fracture of his knee and will be out until the New Year. Manager Jean Tigana does have
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Wanderers could pay heavy price for TV blackout
A PROLONGED players' strike could cost Wanderers millions in television revenue. As the war of words hotted up in the dispute between the Professional Footballers' Association and the Premier League, Football League and Football Association, officials
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Factory worker badly burned in accident
A WORKMAN was turned into a human torch when a drum he was using to burn rubbish exploded in a horrific accident at a Chorley factory. Lance Nixon, aged 25, was flown by air ambulance to Royal Preston Hospital where he is in intensive care after suffering
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Hear'Say hope for record honour
POP fledglings Hear'Say are in line for further success as they bid to be awarded the annual Record of the Year title. The group, including Bury's Suzanne Shaw and Wigan's Kym Marsh, is among 20 acts nominated for the 2001 accolade. Hear'say feature alongside
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Parents support sacking decision
THE parents of an 18-month-old boy whose organs were removed by doctors at Liverpool's Alder Hey Hospital have welcomed the sacking of its chief executive. Bill and Denise Green believe it is right that Hilary Rowland should have lost her job after the
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School goes ape over class mate
AMY, the new class mate of Bolton pupils, may not have the best manners and her appearance is a little unusual, but already her new pals have fallen in love with her. For youngsters at a Bolton school have made friends with an endangered creature in the
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Soap stars set for Octagon date
AN intriguing Emmerdale pairing heads Bolton Octagon's new line-up for the spring and summer 2002 season. The newly-announced programme has been released and among the in-house productions is a new version of Miss Julie starring Emmerdale's Anna Brecon
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Don't be afraid of 'fridge mountain'
ANEW European Union ruling which restricts the disposal of old fridges should not result in the frightening prospect of a "fridge mountain", claims a top environmental group. E If the Government honours its pledge to help local councils, the public will
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Boro aim to open gap
RADCLIFFE Boro go into tomorrow's home Unibond League Division One fixture against Farsley Celtic leading the table by four points but fully aware of the need to extend the winning league sequence beyond the current four game mark. Harrogate Town have
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It's great to get our shelter back
REGARDING loss of the St Helens Road bus stop/shelter, which happened 18 months ago, through deregulation. We, the residents of Smethurst Lane and the surrounding area, are having great joy and are relieved to see our bus stop/shelter restored back in
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How can goods sell so cheaply?
THE European Court has just decided that supermarkets cannot sell designer goods, imported from non EU countries such as America, at knockdown prices. As I understood it, the whole point of Britain being in the EU was that, by virtue of the "tariff free
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We must reduce road deaths toll
AFTER yet another fatal road collision in the Bolton area, I feel readers should begin to analyse why so many collisions continue to occur. Recently, a comprehensive survey in Belgium established that the majority of drivers believed that drinking was
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Wanderers half a world away
IT was with great interest that I saw on the BEN Internet site the news that a book had been published about the wartime Wanderers. The piece revived memories of going to Burnden Park when soccer was football and not this version we see today by most
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We saw metal bar attack on security guard
EYE-witnesses today described the dramatic moment when a Royal Mail security guard was hit over the head with a metal bar after being attacked by masked raiders outside a Bolton post office. Four thugs attacked the guard as he walked towards Breightmet
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Wanderers lose £8m - but we're winning!
THE cost of hoisting Wanderers into the Premier League was revealed today when Burnden Leisure plc - the club's parent company - reported a loss of £8 million over the last financial year. The wage bill increased by £1.6 million to £9.8m as players were
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Aki knocking on first team door
Wanderers Res 3, Middlesbrough Res 0 AKINORI Nishizawa produced a touch of class to put Wanderers on their way to a convincing victory over Middlesbrough at the Reebok on Wednesday. Sam Allardyce was elsewhere on a scouting mission but he would surely
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Wanderers lose £8m - but we're winning!
THE cost of hoisting Wanderers into the Premier League was revealed today when Burnden Leisure plc - the club's parent company - reported a loss of £8 million over the last financial year. The wage bill increased by £1.6 million to £9.8m as players were
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Sam's anxious over fate of TV clash
SAM Allardyce fears he may not know until the last minute whether Wanderers' Premiership game at Spurs will fall victim to the threatened players' strike. The Reebok boss hopes the issue will be resolved before the December 3 fixture, which has been selected
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Miss Saigon, The Palace Theatre, Manchester. Runs into the New Year
GREATER Manchester welcomed Miss Saigon with rapturous applause last night. The stunning production which has delighted audiences throughout the world has finally premiered in the North-west. And was it worth the wait? You bet it was! The musical has
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Soap stars set for Octagon date
AN intriguing Emmerdale pairing heads Bolton Octagon's new line-up for the spring and summer 2002 season. The newly-announced programme has been released and among the in-house productions is a new version of Miss Julie starring Emmerdale's Anna Brecon
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£3,000 haul from shop
THIEVES have escaped with £3,000 worth of cigarettes from a Bury town centre shop. They removed security boarding from the rear of the Sky Newsagents in Haymarket Street to get inside. Police are investigating the break-in.
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Motorway crash
A 45-YEAR-OLD woman is in hospital after losing control of her car on the M61. Catherine Dicks was overtaking another vehicle when she lost control and spun across two lanes before crashing into a fence near Worsley. She was taken to hospital with head
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Police call for victims
DETECTIVES want to speak to elderly women in Bolton who may have been targeted by handbag thieves. There have been a spate of incidents in the last few days, most involving two men approaching elderly people. Police believe some women who managed to keep
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Anthrax scare at post office
A POST Office was at the centre of an anthrax scare when white powder seeped out of a letter sent from Pakistan. Staff at the Kingswood Road post office, Prestwich, followed procedure and put the envelope in a secure plastic container and called the police
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Former MP speaks at awards evening
A HORWICH secondary school has enjoyed its annual awards evening thanks to a lively speech from a former MP. Staff, pupils, parents and governors at St Joseph's RC School and Sports College warmly welcomed Lord David Alton to their awards evening. Senior
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Bone disease study
BOLTON women are to take part in a major research project into bone density. Manchester University's mobile osteoporosis unit -- a 28ft truck fitted with state-of-the-art scanners -- will visit the town. The study will investigate whether ethnic background
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Soccer club night
BREIGHTMET United Football Club is holding a 60/70s night disco on Friday, November 30, at 8pm at Moss Park, off Bury Road, Bolton. Entrance is £2 which includes a free buffet.
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Concern over school absentees
DESPITE the considerable GCSE improvements at two Bolton secondary schools, they ranked the lowest in the town for absenteeism. The Deane School notched-up a 1.9 per cent figure for the proportion of half-days lost to due to unauthorised absence while
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Special needs boy has bike stolen
A BOY with special needs had his new bicycle stolen just days after his 11th birthday. James Roberts. of Oaks Avenue, Bradshaw, suffers an obsessive disorder. His grandmother, Barbara Wright, said the theft will devastate him. His mother, Denise Roberts
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Warrant issued for rape charge asylum seeker
A COURT has issued a warrant for the arrest of an asylum seeker accused of rape after he failed to appear at court part way through his trial. Iranian-born Dayoush Vatandoust faced trial before Bolton Crown Court over allegations he raped a prostitute
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Keep crime down
PEOPLE in Westhoughton are invited to a meeting to discuss how they can improve security in their homes. Chris Waters, crime reduction adviser at Astley Bridge police station, will be on hand to give information at Westhoughton Town Hall, from 10am to
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Holden stays in Oldham - and enters cyberspace!
DEAN Holden, who is staying on loan with Oldham Athletic until the end of the season, has celebrated by launching his own website Click HERE for a direct link HE WRITES: Welcome to my official website This is a great opportunity for me to keep you in
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History meeting
HALLIWELL Local History Society will be holding its next meeting at Chorley Old Road Methodist Church School on Tuesday. Guest speaker will be Steven Sartin, who will talk about the history of the Judges' Lodgings in Lancaster. The meeting begins at 7.30pm
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Holden stays in Oldham - and enters cyberspace!
DEAN Holden, who is staying on loan with Oldham Athletic until the end of the season, has celebrated by launching his own website Click HERE for a direct link HE WRITES: Welcome to my official website This is a great opportunity for me to keep you in
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Sam's anxious wait over strike
WANDERERS boss Sam Allardyce is anxiously playing a waiting game over the threatened players strike with his club likely to be one of the first affected. He said: "We are one of the first clubs to actually have a live game planned when we go to Tottenham
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Man bound over
A 30-YEAR-old man was bound over to keep the peace for 12 months by Bolton magistrates after a late night family argument. The court was told Simon Charnley of Ivanhoe Court, Bolton, had become involved in a heated argument with his common-law wife and
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Land sale incites Tory accusation
A LATE bid to stop the controversial sale of land near a Tottington play area has failed. Tory councillors have now accused Labour of riding roughshod over democracy and making decisions in "smoke-filled rooms". They are annoyed over the proposed sale
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Sam backs PFA action
SAM Allardyce has pledged his support to the PFA's call for strike action. The Bolton Wanderers' manager, speaking on his personal website, said: "I'm happy to pledge my support to the PFA despite the current threats of TV blackouts. I know the PFA does
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Public will be split over strike - Deano
DEAN Holdsworth is confident the players will be united but expects the public to be split over the PFA strike threat. Speaking last month, Holdsworth, the Wanderers' union representative, insisted: "I hope there will be a resolution but if it happens
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Burnden legend backs PFA strike
GORDON Taylor received a boost from a Wanderers legend as he prepared to lead England's footballers in a strike over TV money. Tommy Banks, the abrasive former Bolton and England defender, stepped into the cotroversy with a determination that revived
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Strike puts football at risk - Deano
DEAN Holdsworth has urged the two sides in the TV cash row to get back round the table to thrash out an agreement to prevent a strike he believes can only do damage to football. The Wanderers' star says he and his team-mates are "concerned" that the rift
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Whites old boy hails PFA stance
MARK Patterson, the former Wanderers and Bury midfield player, is backing the PFA in their current dispute over TV cash. Patterson, who this week shelved his retirement plans to take up a player-coaching role with Conference strugglers Scarborough, is
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It's not about greed
THE BEN's Neil Bonnar explains why strike action will not be about greed, but concern for their less fortunate colleagues When millionaire players stick with colleagues on £100 a week FORGET the notion that this is all about soccer's millionaire players
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Dave sets his sights on town grot spots
AN environmentalist has toured Bolton's grot spots to produce a video which will encourage people to clean up the streets. Dave Shuttleworth, a member of the Tidy Britain group and who is funded by Bolton Council, has made the 17-minute video which includes
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Tables show pupils doing better
THE number of pupils gaining the highest GCSE grades has increased considerably in Bolton despite only a small rise nationally. School performance league tables reveal that the number of candidates gaining five A-C grades was 45.4 per cent, compared with
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Cancer patient gets a Royal appointment
BLUSHING Lewis Brown basked in the limelight with Royalty when the Duchess of Kent picked him out for prestigious photocall. Beaming with a mixture of embarrassment and pleasure, it was a moment the Bolton man would not forget in a hurry. Mr Brown, aged
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Terror as teenagers roam estate
GANGS of up to 60 youths are causing mayhem on a Bury estate in the latest spate of teenage disorder. Residents in the Woodhill Road area of Brandlesholme complain that young people are making their life hell. One young mother even says she was threatened
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We'll fight jeans ban - Tesco
TESCO - which has recently opened a new store in Horwich - has vowed to keep fighting the ruling on selling cut-price designer goods. Their plea comes in the wake of losing their landmark court battle with jeans-maker Levi's, which will prevent stores
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Shakers have goal-den touch
ANDY Preece has hailed his strike force as one of the best in the division. Jon Newby and Gareth Seddon have formed a fine partnership since becoming the manager's preferred front two in the last four matches. And with Ian Lawson pushing both men hard
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25 YEARS AGO: From the BEN Saturday November 20, 1976
WANDERERS staged a fantastic comeback at the Dell after going a goal down to FA Cup holders Southampton. Former Manchester United striker Ted MacDougall put the Saints ahead just before half-time from close range. Wanderers rallied after the break with
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Schools soccer by Graeme Hollinshead
BOLTON Under 15s bid for their first win in the Greater Manchester Schools' League when they travel to take on Stockport at Kingsway School on Saturday. The local youngsters, who are missing key players to the demands of professional clubs' academy teams
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Patterson legal row
ROSSENDALE have reported Scarborough to the FA for making an 'illegal approach' to midfielder Mark Patterson. The former Wanderers and Bury star has joined the Conference club as player-coach this week and, while Dale don't want to hold the player back
