The Martin Dobson column

A PREMIERSHIP fixture between Wigan Athletic and Manchester United could be a distinct possibility next season.

And a former Blackburn Rovers and Burnley player, closely associated with the Championship leaders, is relishing the prospect.

David Hamilton is the chief scout at the JJB Stadium - and he's hoping to be a leading force in helping the North West club take their place in the top flight for the first time.

Hamilton, 43, started 104 games for Rovers and 11 for the Clarets during a playing and coaching career which took in the likes of Chorley, Accrington and Great Harwood.

His relationship with Wigan manager Paul Jewell goes back a long way but, firstly, I asked him what he remembered about his time at Burnley.

"I was 29 and in the process of negotiating a contract to play in Belgium when I got a call from chief scout, Brian Miller, offering me a trial," he said.

"After a couple of weeks, Frank Casper signed me. I really enjoyed the two years at Turf Moor. We had good cup runs in both the FA and League Cups and got to the play-offs. I was sent off in the first leg of the semi-final against Torquay but felt the club were heading in the right direction. The support was magnificent, 20,000 were at the Blackpool match, even though we were in the Fourth Division. I knew I had come to a really big club.

"I remember one pre-season tour being organised in Russia and we had to fly from Heathrow. The take-off was aborted and the captain came on to tell us he was having difficulty with number three engine.

"He had another go - but to no avail. To say everybody on the flight was having palpitations was a massive understatement. He had one more try but still wasn't happy, and in the end we had to wait seven hours before the problem was sorted.

"We eventually got to Moscow but then had to face another four-hour internal flight to the south of the country, near the Iraq/Iran border. After loading all our own baggage on this small propeller job, the air stewardess, who was around 25-stone and maybe doubled up as an Olympic shot-putter, made an announcement that we were carrying too much weight.

"In unison, the lads shouted 'not us love - you'. The flight meal was a 'gourmet's delight' - a chicken leg with no meat on it, a bottle of salt water and a bit of dry bread! Luckily we did make it safely."

After captaining the England Youth team at 18 years of age, it was an ex-Burnley legend who first offered David a professional contract. Jimmy Adamson had been installed as manager at Sunderland.

"Whisper it," said David. "But I was a Newcastle supporter in those days. There was a big influx of ex Clarets at Roker Park at the time. Dave Merrington came as Jim's assistant, Stan Ternent was coach, Dave Blakey was the chief scout and Colin Waldron, Mick Docherty and Doug Collins had joined the squad.

"I suppose a few supporters did question the signings because Sunderland were a top division side at the time and Burnley were in the second division but, for me, they all made their mark."

David then signed for Blackburn Rovers when Howard Kendall was manager and played over 150 games in six years. Spells at Wigan and Chester followed, before he took up a coaching position at Rochdale, where he went on to become assistant manager to John Hollins and was caretaker manager three times before joining Wigan.

"I had always had a good relationship with Paul Jewell when we were together as players at Wigan and he kept in touch when he managed Bradford in the Premiership. When he took over at the JJB three years ago he made me chief scout," he said.

"With knowing what's required to take a smaller club into the top flight, I wouldn't put it past him to do it again. We couldn't have wished for a better start but there's still a long way to go."

It was a little different when David was a player at the old Springfield Park stadium.

"I remember we played Leeds in an FA Cup quarter-final match and Jimmy Greaves said on his 'On the Ball' programme: "Wigan v Leeds - isn't this a rugby match?' I thought the cheeky so and so. The closest I've been to an FA Cup Final appearance and he's taking the mickey!

"We're still regarded as a rugby town even now but with both clubs playing at the stadium, I think it's levelling out. We're averaging around 8,000 but that shows a 100 per cent increase in two years."

If Wigan do find themselves in the top division next year and neighbours Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool, Everton, Manchester United, Manchester City and Bolton come visiting, the place will be rocking.

Who said the days of the Wimbledons and Watfords gate crashing the top division were well and truly over? Next summer they may have to think again.