23/11/04
Michael Allinson was last night welcomed back into the bosom of the Navvies at a jubilant evening of quiz fun at the Bankhouse. A late Mike entered the fray at around nine thirty pm and his appearance caused shock among the assembled Navvies. Rumours had abounded that Mike had passed away and having shed a few pounds looked slightly cadaverous, but was able to calm the masses by stating that "Rumours of my demise are exaggerrated". As well as a couple of pounds off the hip, Mike returned with a couple of extra pounds on the lip, in the form of a moustache the likes of which have not been seen since cult horror-porn Poltergays- Things That go Bum in the Night.
The much vaunted Navvy publicity machine is now set to go into overdrive with a planned photo shoot (provisionally entitled The Passion of the Mike) featuring a series of scenes including Mike being beaten with sticks along Chapeltown, a crucified Mike by the World's End and his emergence from his cave like bedroom with holes in his fingers from excessive X-box usage. Tom Knapp angrily demanded the part of Pontius Pilot in the photos claiming "I killed off Mike three years ago, at least I should be able to pretend that I sent him to his death this time!"
The picture round was eventually won by Tom Knapp's quiz side project Team Tom and Richard (and Tot) after he was able to recognise failed London Mayoral candidate Frank Dobson and pronounce Diarmuid Garvin.
20/11/04
The Navvies FC are due to finally make peace and register with the FA. The last time the PLC tried to coerce the team into FA registration, it fell on it's face with the club walking out on the league to join the Skylark. This season, however, has already seen a marked increase in the club's professionalism, which has been demonstratd by the establishment of a Navvy 'slush fund' to help cover the cost of new kit items and to help the sociability of the team. The new fund will be paid for by every playing Navvy and at a discounted level by the none playing staff. The fund was established in the aftermath of last week's red and yellow card fiasco which saw Paul Watson sent off for swearing at the referee. The day brought around �44 of fines to the club, enough to pay for two and a half matches, and a specially conviened meeting at the Bankhouse conference suite decided to establish a fund to cover all such eventualities. This fund will be used to pay off matters such as the FA registration costs, which currently stand at �10.88.
Discipline is also on the agenda after lax committment from many of the star names including club maverick eter Laybourn, who has already defied Sunter's strict "no girting" rule. Whilst Sunter is yet to go through with issuing a club fine, close sources say it could well be an inevitability.
18/11/04
After the season's grim opening loss to the Reapers, questions were asked about one Mr Mike Allinson. The big lad had not appeared on the day and the lack of an explaination had led to many Navvies blieving that his heart was not longer in the team. This was pushed further by his refusal to play with or even communicate with the team. The striking striker now seems destined to leave the doors of the Navvies FC and will leave a very big gap to fill.
Rumours of Mike's location are flying around the club's HQ at the Junction but seem destined to be unubstantiated as contact with his family cannot be made. The main rumour is that Mike has died. This would explain his inactivity and lack of text messages. It would also hark back to the early days of Navvies FC when a cruel internet rumour saw Mike killed off, before a spectacular ressurrection at Christmas time. It could well be that the disappearance is a sad case of life imitating art.
Regardless of the truth of the matter, Mike is a very much missed component in the Navvy social and football engines and it is hoped that he will soon be back in the heart of the club.
11/11/04
Rumours abound that long time Navvy, Mike Allinson, is on the edge of his club career. The big guy was one of the first players to ever play for the club in the inaugral match and is thought to be on his last chance after an AWOL spell on the opening day of the season.
Club Secretary, Tom Knapp, called Mike twenty minutes before the match to check that he was travelling to the Leisure Centre. The response was a brisk no with no explaination offered as to why he would not appear at the ground. Whilst Mike was only due to make a substitute appearance, the absence is an official breach of club rules, and Mike's contract, both of which state that any absence should be announced as early as possible to give the management ample time to reevaluate the team. The deadline for reporting an absence should be the Friday before the match and there are range of possible options for Oli Sunter to consider. The most obvious outcome would be to fine Mike, as is permitted in his contract, but it is believed that Sunter had other plans and needed to be disuaded from sacking Allinson on the Monday night. Currently the jury is out, but Mike's presence in the squad is now a severe doubt, especially with the emergance of Mandala and with Tom Knapp now a regular fixture in the first five.