It's odds-on that Vicky will get the message across for new boss
AT the weekend I had the pleasure once again of meeting Vicky Haigh, former lady jockey, racehorse trainer and now the face of leading online bookmakers Victor Chandler.
Vicky says she can now enjoy a lie-in instead of all the cold, early starts and at the same time still enjoy her horse racing and meeting people.
The Gibraltar-based company is looking to increase its business in Yorkshire and the north in general and she is charged with doing a job on the public relations front and making people aware of the company in this neck of the woods.
Ironically, there was a mention of Victor Chandler in the bookmakers in Coronation Street in last Friday's edition and we both remarked on it and how many viewers would have picked up on it. She was immediately on her mobile and texting Gibralter to let them know that nine million or so would have heard the company name.
Vicky was at Doncaster as part of the Nottingham Forest entourage as the company sponsor the boys from the City Ground. She also informed me she has been dieting in readiness for a charity fashion show this weekend in London. No doubt having been a successful women's jockey when it was really men only in the parade ring, she will know all about taking the pounds off before a race.
Her late father Jack was a professional footballer with Liverpool, Scunthorpe and Doncaster over 16 years and she reckons she has inherited the steel in her spine through him.
I wish her well and feel they have made a good choice with their appointment.
A couple of weeks ago I had a conversation with Brian Evans, Warrington-born father of Max and Thom who have played in the first two Six Nations matches for Scotland against France and then last Saturday against Wales.
Brian, a former European Tour card holder in the 80s, is the director of golf at the swish Pinheiros Altos Golf Club (Tall Pines) in Quinta do Lago, Portugal, and has been over to see both matches.
I really felt for him last Saturday evening when I heard that Thom could have broken his neck from a tackle in the game, but thank goodness they have sorted the vertebrae and he is going to be alright. Whether he plays again is another matter, the main thing right now is that Thom is not paralysed.
How proud the boys' parents must have been to have not one but two in the same international side and then their anguish over the injury, talk about highs and lows.
Thom and Max are second cousins to Warrington-born BBC Radio 2 DJ Chris Evans who was at the match to see them and, apparently, was talking about them for most of Monday morning's radio show.
Brian was looking forward to introducing his sons to his idol Alex Murphy OBE in the reception suite at the Millennium but that will have to wait as the parents had travelled in the ambulance to the hospital with Thom.
I spoke with Alex on Monday, he had been speaking on the Friday night at the Neath RFC Past Players Annual Dinner, and says he would love to meet up with them all when everyone is fit and well.
STILL with rugby union, I was staggered to see the attendance for the Guinness Premiership match at Wembley on Saturday between leaders Saracens and strugglers Worcester.
Over 40,000 attended despite the counter-attractions of live coverage of two Six Nations matches and two live FA Cup ties on terrestrial TV.
Back at their Watford home, Saracens average around 12,000, so after paying the costly rental charges for Wembley they must still be over the proverbial moon on this one.
AT least Leeds United and Huddersfield Town are not losing in their current run of drawn games, unlike Charlton Athletic who I saw beaten again on Monday night at Bristol Rovers.
Please note all you Leeds and Town fans, Doncaster Rovers loaned star striker Paul Heffernan to score what turned out to be the winning goal for Bristol!
Norwich City keep lurching on but they could still suffer a lean spell of their own. Leeds are still in that all important top two while Huddersfield, despite a lot of team changes of late, are striving to get in those play off spots and then stay there.
Halifax Town, having now shed unwanted cup matches and run up games in hand, can concentrate on getting out of the league they are in and it is so exciting to see Brighouse Town up in the top three and only three points off the leaders in their own league.
Six games unbeaten in the league since December and all to aim for in the promotion stakes and booking their places next season for the first time ever in the Eon FA Cup and taking part once again in the FA Vase.
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Weather for Halifax
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -2 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light snow
Temperature: 0 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South
