Our Frank would’ve had it no other way

EARLY last year, a Marine supporter, Frank Heald, passed away after a long illness. He was a popular man who had supported Chorley from childhood before moving to the Wirral in middle age. Frank was disabled but this didn’t stop him from travelling away with the team. Whenever he travelled to Chorley v Marine games he was always given a great reception by his old club and in some small way he helped cement a special friendly rivalry between Marine and Chorley.

Now I’m not a religious person but if I use my imagination just a little, I can imagine Frank going through those Pearly Gates and being granted his wish that Marine and Chorley have good FA Cup runs. If you cast your mind back to the draw for the First Round, It’s uncanny that Marine and Chorley were the last two to be pulled out of the hat. The last team out would receive a bye and Chorley got it.

Following that, Frank clearly guided Marine through a riveting penalty shoot out against Colchester, the Crosby team scoring all five when their three regular takers had been subbed.

He also influenced the decision of the linesman to award an injury time winner against Barnoldswick in the preliminary round when a Josh Hmami free-kick had bounced off the underside of the bar and onto the goal line. That decision turned out to be worth around half a million pounds to the club.

So my message to Steve Hill (NLP, January 24) is this. There’s nothing that Chester, Colchester, Havant, Wigan Athletic, Derby County or Peterborough could have done to stop Marine and Chorley because Frank had been granted his wish and a wish he thoroughly deserved. Thanks, Frank. You did well!