STEVE CUNNINGHAM is staying with Atherton LR. He sensationally quit on Saturday following a 5-1 defeat at Bootle - one of the shock defeats of the season in the North Western Trains League.

But 48 hours later the popular manager was persuaded to stay on. "It's been heartwarming to receive so many calls asking me to stay. It just shows the spirit we have here at Crilly Park."

But Cunningham had been on a real downer after the Bootle debacle. "I like to think I've always done an honest job at LR," he said. "But, after a result like that, the manager has to stand up and take the rap.

"Our recent results have been poor with 13 goals conceded in the last four games and I felt it was time to take a good, honest look at what was going wrong.

"There was no doubt in my mind having looked at it that it was time for a change."

Ironically, Saturday's result could have been so much different had Frank Bird twice and manager's son Steve not wasted glorious early opportunities. Dave Chadwick did finally find the back of the net.

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