Physio heal thyself

It's a glamorous life in the nether region's of England's third division, in no sense at all. Ahead of their game away to Swansea on Saturday Carlisle United manager Roddy Collins (below) claimed he had 12 players unavailable through injury and another eight suffering from flu. The depleted squad set off on their seven-hour coach trip to Wales on Friday, but then they got a phone call to say the Football League had given them permission to postpone the game. So, they turned back.

Then they got another call to say they would, in fact, have to pay Swansea £28,000 in compensation if they postponed, which is £28,000 more than Carlisle have to spare these days. So, their dizzy driver turned around again, arriving in Swansea just before midnight. Despite coughing and spluttering and wheezing and sneezing through the 90 minutes Carlisle managed a 0-0 draw, with the club physio named as one of their subs. Fortunately, his services weren't required, although it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if he'd been injured.