Part -time TV soap star look alike, part-time adventure explorer – Craig Gurney looks at Swindon Town's chariman

Distinguishing Features He used to look a bit like Coronation Street’s Les Battersby in a sharp suit. But not even Tricky Rikki can cheat the ageing process and he is now starting to look like the middle-aged businessman he surely is; more bloke down the golf club than bloke down the pub. The Battersby motif still has some mileage though. Les, you may recall, has made a fool of himself over professional blonde scouser, Margi Clarke. Hunt has a love of all things scouse; himself for a start. He stood by another blond (if receding) scouser, Steve McMahon, much longer than he should have. Even now, Hunt will not hear a bad word spoken against the manager who brought us two years of disastrous mid-season slumps. 

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A quick history with all things football in Wigan, courtesy of Mike Wareing

1932 Wigan Athletic are born. Previously there was Wigan Borough (slung out of the League in 1931), Wigan Town, Wigan United and Wigan County – none survived. Fingers are crossed for the future success of the new club as the town is rapidly running out of names.

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How one man attempted to bring his club down to flames, literally. Andrew Spiers and Ray Gilbert report

Ken Richardson, ex-benefactor (his choice of word) of Doncaster Rovers, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit arson by a unanimous verdict at Sheffield County Court in the last week of January. Judge Peter Baker said Rich­ardson could expect a custodial sentence and he was remanded in custody pending a bail hearing. Sentencing was delayed as his barrister was ill. 

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“I’m hoping to be shown where I am meant to be going, and what I’m meant to be doing. Perhaps it won’t be what I want. But it will be what I need.” Glenn Hoddle in The 1998 World Cup Story

So, off he goes to no one's surprise. Some of the most successful managers in British football, including Bill Shan­kly, Don Revie and Brian Clough, might be politely described as eccen­trics, so the fact that the man who picked the England team holds opinions seemingly derived from the witchhunts of the middle ages need not necessarily have made his position untenable. 

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Saturday 2 FA Cup headlines are made at Rushden, where Leeds are held to a goalless draw, Forest, who lose 1-0 to Portsmouth – Dave Bassett’s non-attendance at a post-match press conference fuelling speculation that he may be about to quit – Upton Park where Swansea are minutes away from beating West Ham before a Julian Dicks goal forces a replay, and at the Dell, where metropolitan fat cats Fulham are denied victory by a last-minute equaliser from Southampton’s Egil Ostenstad. Yeovil also concede a late goal in a draw at Cardiff but the other non-League team, Southport, are beaten 2-0 at home by Leyton Orient. This week’s FA inquiry will look into an incident during Chelsea’s 2-0 win at Oldham when referee Paul Durkin was struck by a hot dog (tomato sauce, no onions) though stewards claim it was only a sausage roll.

Sunday 3 Man Utd recover from a goal down to beat Middlesbrough 3-1 with the help of a penalty decision, given for Neil Maddison’s “trip” on Nicky Butt, that Alex is happy with for once: “If Graham Barber gave it must have been a penalty.” Another questionable spotkick, acquired and scored by Michael Owen, sets Liverpool on the way to a 3-0 win over Port Vale. In Scotland Rangers go four points clear at the top, and ten points ahead of Celtic, after the Old Firm “New Year’s Day” match ends 2-2. There are 50,000 Scots in the crowd and eight on the pitch.

Monday 4 A Cup shock looks on the cards for half an hour at Preston, where the home team race into a two-goal lead against Arsenal, before eventually going down 4-2. Controversy surrounds Arsenal's third goal, which is preceded by Preston defender Ryan Kidd being laid out by an elbow from substitute striker Fabian Caballero (don't ask). "I think there was an elbow incident and that was disappointing," says home manager David Moyes. "We don't need to start fights to win matches," snaps Arsene.

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