Chronicle Article 28 April 2000

There was very little difference between the Moss Rose and Silverstone car parks on Saturday, but no doubting where BBC motor racing correspondent and ISA member Jon Legard's heart was, even if his head was concentrating on the Grand Prix practice session. The rescheduling of the race to April at least allowed him to get up to the Deva on Monday instead of travelling back from Brazil or Australia or some similar dreary location.

Jon got his wish of Coulthard and Chester victories although the chequered flags at the Deva were a different colour, and our race hasn't finished just yet. Most supporters would have settled for four points from the Easter games, given Macc's lingering hopes of the play-offs and York being the form side of the division. Once again, there were magnificent performances from every single man out there. And the atmosphere at the Deva on Monday was simply the best.

At Tuesday's ISA meeting, Stuart Hicks endeared himself to the members with his off the field performance. In a crowded Royal Mail Club, he fielded questions for an hour about his life in football, after confiding that he'd never been so nervous in his life. That took some believing as he good-humouredly talked about many experiences including Wembley appearances, his hardest opponent (the legendary Mick Harford) and the funniest moment (the Moss Rose streaker). When complimented about his performances for City and his leadership qualities, he paid tribute to three factors which he regarded as instrumental in recent weeks; the hard work of all the players, the team spirit which has grown from the Devon weekend, and the "gaffer's" thorough preparation for every game. Training sessions include close attention to formations and positional play, with the flexibility to change the system. Scouting reports are also used to plan against the opposition. The transformation brought about since Ian Atkins' inspired appointment has been remarkable.

After the meeting, Stuart spent time chatting with the fans, showing what a genuine good-natured bloke he is. Who could possibly suspect that when he enters a changing room and puts on a number twenty-eight shirt, he is transformed into his clenched fisted, fearless alter-ego, super stopper Hicksy, scourge of strikers?

The Shropshire Star (not my usual newspaper) made interesting reading on Tuesday, with numerous permutations of how the Shrews could be relegated. And the Carlisle press can't be expected to be too upbeat either. Our local reporters have remained largely optimistic as the team has improved through the months of Ian Atkins' reign. Though we're out of the tunnel, there's still a bit more to do before we're clear and the Great Escape becomes reality. Crowd support is increasing with each fixture and the mass exodus to Cheltenham will probably be bigger than for the play off's at Swansea. And certainly louder. Once again ISA funds will be used to subsidise travel costs.

The team will be well prepared. Blue and white chequered flags are at the ready. We don't want to tempt providence but here's hoping.

PS Please buy/sell Prize Draw tickets to help recover our funds. Who knows what might happen next season?

Les Smith ISA chairman

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