1 August 2002 - John Courtenay offers places on the board to Andrew Jenkins, Lord Clarke of Windermere, Mike Corry and John Bourke. Michael Jack is offered a two year deal at United. Steve Soley confirms he has decided to stay at Southport. Other news - The Football League has failed in its attempt to get back the £131.9m in unpaid broadcast fees it claimed it was owed by the owners of ITV Digital. Ten of Scotland's top football clubs have resigned from the Scottish Premier League after the teams failed to reach an agreement with Celtic and Rangers over changes to the league's voting structure. Middlesbrough plan to appeal after Juninho is refused a work permit because he falls short of the requirement that he should have played in 75% of his country's competitive fixtures over the last two years. The United Nations reject Palestinian allegations of a massacre during Israel's attack on the Jenin refugee camp.
2 August 2002 - The creditor's meeting was held today at Brunton Park, with the club's creditors unanimously accepting the offer put to them by the club's administrators, BKR Haines Watts. The administrator will stay in place for the time being but take on a supervisory role as the debts begin to be paid off. Tonight's friendly against Blythe Spartans is called off due to a waterlogged pitch. Other news - Leicester City sack Dennis Wise as a result of his alleged assault on teammate Callum Davidson during the club's preseason tour of Finland. Juninho is granted a work permit following a successful appeal by Middlesbrough. The tribunal accepted that his proven quality and impressive performances at the World Cup were sufficient grounds for appeal. Legionnaires' disease is confirmed in Barrow where 19 cases have so far proved positive and another 36 are being investigated.
3 August 2002 - Radio Cumbria have news that Peter Keen is talking terms at Barrow. Members of CCUIST and other supporters take mops and buckets to clean the East Stand in a positive show of fan power. Other news - Gretna play their first game in Scottish division 3 and get a creditable 1-1 draw against Greenock Morton. In rugby league St Helens move beat Warrington 72 -2, the win brings them within two points of leaders Bradford. The number of patients suffering from Legionnaires' disease in the Barrow area continues to rise, one elderly man has died and there are now 39 confirmed infections. Scientists say tests on animals suggest there may be a risk of people catching the human form of BSE through blood transfusions, previously it was that that there was no risk from this source.
5 August 2002 - The ban on transfers has been lifted, Roddy Collins is now free to bring in new players after the loan to pay players wages has been repaid. Roddy Collins will give Lee Maddison and Mick Galloway the chance to regain their first team places, both are expected to be involved in the game against Hartlepool on Saturday. John Courtenay, and Alan Steel announce plans for an 'official' supporters club. Application forms are to be printed inside the pages of match programmes for the first two or three home games at Brunton Park. Other news - Wimbledon defender Des Byrne, and Chelsea players John Terry, and Jody Morris face their first day in court charged with affray after an brawl outside a nightclub in central London. In Cambridgeshire around 500 local people join the search for missing 10 year old girls who were last seen in Soham, near Cambridge at about 6.30pm on Sunday.
6 August 2002 - Jon Cullen, the exciting Peterborough midfielder who made 11 appearances for United in the Atkins era, is on trial at Brunton Park and is hoping for a permanent move. Peter Keen is due to have talks about signing a new contract with United after being released at the end of last season. John Halpin joins the Radio Cumbria sports team. Other news - Football League chief executive David Burns and chairman Keith Harris resign their posts after facing mounting criticism over the collapse of the ITV digital deal. Bradford City have been given clearance to start the new season, as chairman Geoffrey Richmond steps down but it is conditional on new owners Julian Rhodes, and Gordon Gibb reaching a final agreement over their planned takeover by 4pm on Friday. Paula Radcliffe wins the 10,000 metres in the European championships with an incredible display of front running that shatters the European record. David Beckham issues a personal plea for missing 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman to "go home". The two girls were last seen wearing Manchester United tops with his name on the back.
7 August 2002 - Carlisle United have already sold around 600 season tickets with more expected to be sold before the weekend. Brendan McGill is in talks to make a welcome return. Richard Prokas agrees a one year deal with Workington Reds. Other news - Dwain Chambers puts the disappointment of the Commonwealth games behind him with an impressive win in the European 100 metres, taking the title in a new championship record. Fears mount that the two ten year old girls missing from Cambridgeshire may have been abducted. Gurbux Singh, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality resigns his post after being found guilty of using threatening behaviour after drinking seven glasses of wine at an international cricket match last month.
8 August 2002 - United's game against Rochdale on September 8th has been moved forward to an evening game on Friday 7th September to avoid clashing with the England friendly against Portugal. Other news - Nick Barmby signs for Leeds to work with his old Spurs boss Terry Venables. Microsoft's Passport software has come under heavy criticism by a US government watchdog who say it misled consumers over its ability to protect the private information of users. The father of 10-year-old Jade Slack, who died after taking ecstasy, is arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs.
9 August 2002 - United add players to the squad. Peter Keen and Michael Jack make welcome returns while ex Bolton player Ryan Baldacchino joins with a 3 year deal. Two other players sign on a months loan, they are Ryan Hevicon from Blackburn and midfielder John Burns from Bristol City. Other news - Bradford City have received permission from the Football League to start their Division One campaign despite missing the deadline for the planned take over of the club. In cricket, Darren Gough goes into surgery and will be unavailable to play until at least October. Steve Backley wins his 4th consecutive European title in the javlin with his 5th round throw of 86.37 metres. At least 25 people are killed by a powerful explosion near the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad but it is unclear if the explosion is the work of terrorists or a tragic accident. In Washington senior US defence and State Department officials meat with leaders of the six main Iraqi opposition groups to discuss ways of bringing down President Saddam Hussein.
10 August 2002 - United's first game of the season brought out a crowd of 10624. The 3-1 loss was disappointing but not unexpected against a settled Hartlepool side. Before the match Jimmy Glass and Hughie Mcllmoyle were given free entry to Brunton Park for life to loud applause from the crowd. In the post match interview Roddy Collins said the team was as yet only playing at 40% after such a limited pre season but by September when the team had had time to gel together Untied would be a match for anyone in the division. Other news - Rotherham United, who were the bookies favourites to be relegated from division 1 put 6 past Millwall. In the European athletic championships Colin Jackson gains his fourth consecutive 110 metres hurdles title. Police stage a reconstruction of the last known steps of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, the ten year olds who disappeared last Sunday.
Carlisle United 1 - 3 Hartlepool United (Brian Wake 80 mins). League position 23rd. Att: 10684.
Team: Keen - 7, Birch - 6 (Galloway - 7), Maddison - 7 (Hevicon - 6), Whitehead -8, Andrews - 6, Shelley -6, Jack - 6 (Wake -7), Foran -6, Molloy -8, McDonagh -6, Baldacchino -6. Subs not used: Burns, Nixon.
3 Games Man of the Match - A very difficult one to call this, Molloy nearly got it for one piece of skill alone and never stopped working. Both Maddison and Galloway could have been in with a shout if they had played the full 90 minutes. In the end we go for Stuart Whitehead who did an excellent job on pool's Watson and showed composure when others were losing theirs.
3 Games Comment - A new dawn at Brunton Park saw the highest crowd in the division. Maybe the hype surrounding the game gave fans false expectations and we came down to earth with a bump after being comprehensively beaten by a settled professional Hartlepool side. However there were good individual performances from many of the United players, Brian Wake took his chance well on his debut and new and old worked hard, they just lacked cohesion. Roddy Collins has proved before he can build a team from individuals, now is the time for patience rather than despondency, our time will come!
Back to July/August 2002
Back to Diary index