SOCCER linesman Tony Leake was set to tackle his first match abroad.

The Darwen man was preparing to run the line in the UEFA Cup clash between Dynamo Tblisi and University of Kralova, in Russia. Tony, 36, of Cranberry Lane, Darwen, was a linesman in the previous season's Merseyside derby, and both Sheffield derbies.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.