Peter White sees the funny side

YOU wouldn't expect to find the chief executive of Premiership sponsors Carling replacing divots at half time on the pitch at Ewood or Anfield.

But Eric Whalley clearly likes to believe that his sponsorship of the EW Cartons Lancashire League is a "hands-on" venture.

As the under-pressure Rawtenstall groundsman battled to sort out the rain-sodden pitch during a shortened 10-minute interval in Sunday's game against Rishton who should be out there helping him sweep the ends - Eric Whalley!

"I only went out to have a look at the track," he laughed. "But why not?"

Why not indeed but, if I were Eric, I wouldn't be letting the groundsman at his other sporting love, Accrington Stanley, get to hear about it. Or the Crown Ground chief might just find himself doing a spot of grass cutting this summer.

Promise I won't tell him Eric. . .

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