Football Diary: Phone for a loan

KENNY DALGLISH was in the club secretary's office at Ewood Park when the call came through. It was Alan Parry, Wycombe Wanderers director and TV commentator, on the line, requesting tickets for a forthcoming fixture. The pair, friends from Dalglish's Liverpool days, soon got chatting and Parry told Dalglish about the Conference leaders' defensive dilemma caused when their captain, Glyn Creaser, broke his heel in an accident at work involving two fork-lift trucks.

The Blackburn Rovers manager promptly sent Robert Dewhurst, a seriously tall reserve-team centre- half, down to Adams Park on a month's loan. The 21-year-old responded by heading Wycombe's winner on his debut last Saturday.

QPR have responded to their player plight by sticking casualties into London Scottish's hi-tech pressurised healing tank, an activity that has seen photographers flocking after the Rs' stars into the rugby club. Ray Wilkins was photographed by The Sun, Gary Penrice by The Star and Les Ferdinand, Rangers' smooth England prospect, by GQ magazine.

AMID all the strong words flowing between the dug-outs at Loftus Road on Monday night there was one note of peace and goodwill from a previous visitor. When Neville Southall, the Everton keeper, was shown the red card at QPR last month for handling outside the area, his walk from the pitch was punctuated by Rangers' players shaking his hand and fans shaking their heads in disapproval at his dismissal.

Printed in Monday's programme was a letter from Southall to Sheila Marson, the Rangers secretary, asking her to thank 'on my behalf, the supporters of the club, the players and the staff for their very kind and much appreciated consideration, which was shown to me following my premature exit'.

PLAYER profiles in programmes are always good value. Check this career plan of Jason Cook, Colchester United's former Tottenham midfielder . . .

Q: If not a player, what would you do?

A: Sit on a sofa all day.

Q: Career after playing?

A: Same as above.

Q: Which person in the world would you most like to meet?

A: The bloke that made my sofa.

FANS can rival their idols in profiles. Don Bowra, who spent the Second World War in a German POW camp after his submarine was depth-charged, has followed The 'Fleet, as Gravesend and Northfleet of the Beazer Homes League are known, since 1947 and often helps out in the close season, one year rebuilding the club tractor. When asked which was his favourite ground, the former sailor replied: 'Any non-League ground that sells Woods Rum for under pounds 1 a tot.' Demanding or what?

IF WOLVES win a penalty against Bolton at Molineux today, don't be surprised if there's a bit of movement on the home bench. When the Wolves' coaching staff were awarded a spot-kick during a recent friendly victory at Molineux a substitutes' number was held up immediately. Off came the slightly surprised player who was about to take the penalty and on came Jonathan Hayward, the club chairman, who had been taken off earlier. Hayward converted the penalty and then celebrated as if Wolves had won the FA Cup itself.

Stats Life

COME on My Sons. The bottle of Aberlour Malt Whisky for alternative statistic of the week goes to Steven Dennard, of Portrush, Co Antrim, for the following . . .

'All 'sons' scoring the last goal in their matches last Saturday won that match for that team: Merson (Arsenal), Orlygsson (Nottingham Forest), Maddison (Southampton), Overson (Stoke City), Morrison (of Plymouth Argyle for Bolton, og), Fergusson (Telford). In Scotland, Jackson (Hibernian) and Williamson (Kilmarnock) scored first in their matches and won.'

More whisky next week. All freak facts to Football Diary, The Independent, 40 City Road, London EC1Y 2DB (Fax: 071-956-1894).