1 November 2002 - Richie Foran may make a surprise return to United's squad for tomorrows match against Oxford. His fractured cheekbone has healed well and he is anxious to return to the action. Leon Osman, Craig Farrell and John Sutton have all agreed to extend their loan periods. Lee Maddison is also back in contention after recovering from ankle ligament damage. Members of CCUIST voted unanimously to buy 20% of the club for £400,000. Other news - Steve McClaren has stepped down from his England coaching role to concentrate on club affairs at Middlesbrough. David Seaman says there is "no way" he will voluntarily step down from international football. Princess Diana's butler Paul Burrell is cleared of stealing from her estate after it was revealed the Queen knew he was keeping some items. Another earthquake hits the village of San Giuliano di Puglia, a day after 29 people - mostly children - died in a similar tremor. A US judge has approved most parts of an antitrust settlement between Microsoft, the US Justice Department and nine US states. The judge also demanded that Microsoft hand over sensitive information about its technology to its rivals a lot quicker than the agreed settlement had stipulated.
2 November 2002 - United earn a well deserved 3 points with a 1-0 win at home over Oxford United. Other news - Liverpool go seven points clear at the top of the Premiership after their 2-0 win over West Ham. Four men and one woman have been arrested in connection with an alleged conspiracy to kidnap Victoria Beckham and seek a £5m ransom. In Italy, state prosecutors are travelling to the ruins of the primary school in San Giuliano di Puglia to decide whether to bring charges in connection with the deaths of 26 young children killed when the school collapsed.
Utd 1 - 0 Oxford United Scorer Mcgill. League position 23rd. Att. 4039.
Team: Glennon - 7, Shelley -7, Taylor - 8 (Kelly -7) Murphy - 8, Byrne - 7, McGill - 8, Osman -7, Summerbell - 6 , Magennis -7 (McDonagh - 6), Sutton - 7 (Foran - 7), Farrell - 7. Subs not used. Keen, Baldacchino.
3 Games Man of the Match. Peter Murphy is rapidly making the centre back position his own, his ability to read the play and composure on the ball makes him an asset anywhere on the pitch.
3 Games Comment. A great result, not only a win but a clean sheet and a really gritty performance. Even after Summerbell was sent off after collecting his second yellow card (the first seemed very harsh) we didn't really look a man short such was the work that the rest of the team put in.
4 November 2002 - Ian Atkins points to United's "greater determination and aggression" and says his Oxford team were "outbattled". Other news - The Football Association admits that Roy Keane has until Friday to appeal against his five-match ban and £150,000 fine. Former MI5 agent David Shayler is found guilty of breaking the Official Secrets Act when he revealed secret documents to the Mail on Sunday newspaper in 1997, arguing he had a public duty to expose malpractice within the security services. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon narrowly survives three no-confidence motions which threatened to bring down his government. The Fire Brigades Union calls off Wednesday's eight-day strike over pay, but says a 48-hour stoppage will take place on 13 November. Lonnie Donegan, known as the "king of skiffle", dies aged 71.
5 November 2002 - Stuart Green remains a long term target for United. Hull City are anxious to sign him and could complete a deal as a player on a season long loan can be bought by the club they are on loan to without having to wait for a transfer window. United cannot do a deal with Newcastle for Green until January. Michael Dickinson goes on a months loan to Gateshead fc. John Courtenay makes it clear Richie Foran will not be moving to Bournemouth. Other news - Mick McCarthy resigns after six years as the Republic of Ireland manager. Joe Kinnear, John Toshack and John Aldridge emerge as leading contenders for the job as David O Leary rules himself out. Paul Hegarty is confirmed as the new Dundee United manager until the end of the season. Panic breaks out amongt passengers on board an Air France Concorde flight when engine trouble caused the plane to drop thousands of metres. The pilot continued his journey on the plane's three remaining engines, arriving in Paris an hour late. Ex-MI5 agent David Shayler is sentenced to six months in jail following his conviction for breaking the Official Secrets Act.
6 November 2002 - Des Byrne tells the Evening News & Star he is determined to repay the trust Roddy Collins has shown in him by helping Carlisle climb the league. Other news - Chris Turner (Hartlepool United) emerges as favourite to take over as manager of Sheffield Wednesday. Eleven British plane-spotters convicted of spying in Greece have been acquitted. The group were arrested one year ago as they took notes at an air base open day in Kalamata, southern Greece. Winona Ryder is found guilty of grand theft and vandalism. She is due to be sentenced on 6 December and faces a possible prison term of up to three years. Police release a computerised image in the hope of catching a serial rapist who has struck at least 10 times in south-east England.
7 November 2002 - Mark Magennis leaves United after he decides to turn down a further contract. Mick Galloway takes another months loan spell at Hereford and is in talks to make the move a permanent one. Other news - Chris Turner is confirmed as manager of Sheffield Wednesday. Roy Keane decides not to appeal against the five-match ban and £150,000 fine imposed on him by the FA. In the first day of the Ashes series Australia are put in to bat and amass 364 for two, with opener Matthew Hayden batting throughout the day for 186 not out and Ricky Ponting making 123. England's dreadful fielding contributed to the high score. Passengers could face massive disruption after firefighters and security guards at Britain's biggest airports vote to strike over pay. Indonesian police say a man - named only as Amrozi - has admitted involvement in the Bali bombing that killed nearly 200 people.
8 November 2002 - Richie Foran and Lee Maddison both hope to be recalled to the squad for United's game at Kidderminster, after recovering from injuries. Roddy Collins reveals he is talking to five players he is interested in bringing to the club but was unable to sign anyone in time for tomorrows match. John Courtenay has dismissed reports that the club has agreed a deal to move to a new 20,000-seater stadium on the site of the old RAF 14MU base. Whilst a feasibility study is being carried out to decide the way forward for the club either at Brunton Park or another location, no decision had been made. Other news - Manchester Utd start legal proceedings against Lazio for the £12m they are owed over Jaap Stam's transfer. Valencia are also actively pursuing money owed to them from Lazio for midfielder Gaizka Mendieta. Macclesfield midfielder Chris Byrne is in a serious condition in hospital after being shot in the leg. Byrne's injuries are not thought to be life-threatening despite the bullet severing the main artery in his left leg. The UN Security Council unanimously endorse a resolution designed to force Iraq to give up its weapons of mass destruction.
9 November 2002 - United get a well deserved win against Kidderminster in a dramatic game that sees Farrell score a penalty, Glennon save a penalty and McDonagh get a red card. Leon Osman, interviewed on Radio Cumbria after the match, tells how much he's enjoying playing his football as a first team player. Other news - Liverpool are beaten for the first time this season when Gareth Southgate gets the only goal of the match for Middlesbrough. In the Manchester derby City clinch the points with a 3-1 win over United. In Rugby Union England beat New Zealand 31-28, and Ireland beats Australia 18-9. Iraq claims the UN resolution calling on it to eliminate its weapons of mass destruction denies Washington the right to attack Baghdad. Thousands of protesters from across Europe join a massive rally in the Italian city of Florence to oppose any conflict with Iraq. American troops have intervened, for the first time, in a clash between government forces and a group of gunmen in Afghanistan. A local Afghan official said that American helicopters broke up a gun battle between a group of armed men and local government forces over a land dispute.
Kidderminster 1 - 2 Utd Scorers: Farrell, McDonagh. League position, 20th. Att: 3009.
Team: Glennon - 8, Shelley - 8, Taylor -7, Murphy - 8, Byrne - 8(Maddison -7), Baldacchino - 6 (McDonagh - 6), Osman - 8, Summerbell - 8, McGill - 8, Sutton - 7 (Foran - 8), Farrell - 8. Subs not used: Keen, Kelly.
3 Games man of the match. A day when there was a great team performance and many good individual efforts but that man Leon Osman stood out, when he has the ball every attack looks dangerous.
Back to November/December 2002
Back to diary index