IF there's one thing fearless fans' favourite Ian Leather isn't afraid of it's commitment.

Just ask Chorley Football Club, who have granted the Magpies captain a testimonial to mark five seasons of sterling service at Victory Park.

But today, whole-hearted Leather makes the biggest commitment of his life - it's his wedding day.

He will be exchanging vows with his fiance Michelle in Bolton, rather than exchanging blows with Gresley Rovers in this afternoon's FA Trophy preliminary round tie at Victory Park.

But while Leather is hoping the game will be a match made in heaven for his team-mates, he is finding it easier than other Magpies followers to concentrate his mind on events at the church.

"My dad Cliff is my best man, but I think he's more worried about what the score is at Chorley," said Ian.

"He watches me every week, home and away, so he'll probably be ringing the fans up during the wedding.

"I don't really know how I've got away with having it on a Saturday during the season. We looked at all the dates for the venue we wanted and October 4 was the only day left for this year."

Unlike his dad, Ian will be able to relax and enjoy his big day confident that Chorley will progress in his, and wedding guest Danny Mills', absence.

He said: "Mark Molyneaux has been brilliant with me about it, but I'm quietly confident we have good lads who can come into the side.

"It's good that it's a cup game because our league position isn't the best so we really have to concentrate on that. We need points and they're not at stake today."

Leather will miss another two games on his honeymoon during the October half term holidays (Michelle works as a teacher), but it's his consistency and regularity in the side that has secured him two Supporters Player of the Year awards, including last season's.

He also took the prize at the end of the 1998-99 season, his first at Chorley after being released by Bolton Wanderers.

And it's the immediate affinity he struck up with the Victory Park faithful that has inspired him to resist the usual non-league merry-go-round.

Leather said: "This is my sixth season and I've played more than 220 games. The club is a second home to me now.

"When I was released by Bolton, I took a year off then played locally for Garswood United.

"I'd lost heart for football after Bolton but signed for Chorley and I've gone on from there.

"In my first year we were trying to win the league and we brought in so many players from league clubs on loan that we just didn't bond at all.

"I was Player of the Year so it was a good year for me but for the club it wasn't the best as we went down.

"I've had five different managers in my five years and in non-league they usually bring their own players then take them with them, but when we got relegated I decided I'd stay until we got promotion back up to the Premier."

And Leather was one penalty shoot-out away from achieving this in April, only to be pipped at the post by Radcliffe Borough for a place in the Premier Division.

But despite the heartbreak, this remains Leather's highlight of his six years at the club.

He said: "The best year was last year. We always seemed to be 10th or 11th through the season but in the last seven or eight games we got ourselves in a great position to go up.

"We beat Gateshead, who were in the Premier, 5-2, to get to the final, so the latter half of last season had to be my highlight, we were brilliant.

"This time, when I got Supporters' Player of the Year, it was after we'd had a good season so it meant a lot more.

"The fans have always been brilliant with me and given me a lot of support, which I hope they will for the testimonial."

The showpiece occasion that marks Leather's long service will be played towards the end of this season.

While he is a Manchester United fan, he hopes that a club more local to his home of Atherton, near Bolton, will be the opponents.

Leather said: "I would prefer Bolton because it was where I did my apprenticeship.

"They have so many foreign players now that a lot of the lads I knew have left. But Phil Brown and Jimmy Phillips are still in the backroom staff there so it would be nice to get them involved.

"We played Preston here pre-season and they brought a crowd of 1,000 so one of the local Lancashire teams would be best because of the support we would get.

"Our assistant manager Wayne Goodison has asked all of them so we'll wait and see. I'm looking forward to it."

But even if Leather fails to lead Chorley further up the new, complex structure of the non-league pyramid, at least he is young enough to play well past his testimonial year yet.

"I'm 26 so it's daft that I'm having a testimonial," he said. "But it's good it's been granted and maybe I could have another in another five years!"