Football: Hoyland aids Addison's efforts

Hull City 1 Scarborough 1

WHEN JOHN RUSSELL first bought Scarborough Football Club he was confronted by a supporter. "I've spent pounds 6 to watch that crap," he said, to which the newly-installed chairman replied: "You're lucky, I've paid half a million to see it all year."

That was in the good times compared with the current dire straits when if a Scarborough supporter emerges from a ground not too paralysed with fear to speak, it merits a celebration. Twelve years after the club rose flush-faced with excitement from the Football Conference, they are in danger of returning with their tails between their legs.

But Saturday was a good day. The sun shone, a crowd of nearly 14,000 was present and a draw with fellow relegation- fretters Hull lifted Scarborough from the foot of the Third Division. Now if only they can win games against other strugglers, Hartlepool and Carlisle, they will inch to safety. If only.

"The grand thing," Colin Addison, Scarborough's manager of the month in more ways than one, said, "is that we're off the bottom which is a huge psychological boost. It's been a wonderful day for us."

What Addison was doing beaming at Boothferry Park, running what at the start of the day was the League's rock bottom club, is anyone's guess but such a predicament probably did not cross his mind when he was managing Atletico Madrid in the 1980s. Six clubs later he was in a different country and a different world.

For a start, Atletico - ground capacity 62,000 - do not need to swap season tickets for laundry services, nor do the local cobblers get seats for repairing and polishing the boots. At Scarborough they do and Addison does most of the rest.

"Even my friends questioned my sanity when I took the job," he said. "I got a phone call from Tony Pulis, the manager of Gillingham, almost straight away saying he thought I'd gone mad. To be honest, though, people needed a bit of a lift but the mood wasn't as bad as I thought it would be."

It is undoubtedly better now because Scarborough entered Boothferry Park with the best current form in the Third Division, 13 out of 18 points, which compares with three out of 27 in the pre-Addison days. The only problem was that Hull had matched them over the same period in the desperate struggle to get out of the League grave.

Russell says he employed Addison in late February because of his enthusiasm but he may have made the choice too late. Warren Joyce, Hull's counterpart at Hull, took over at Boothferry Park in November and has had the effect of resuscitating the near-dead into sprightly good health.

When David Lloyd, the British Davis Cup captain and previous owner, was threatening to let the club perish through neglect and Hull were propping up the Nationwide League six points adrift of the rest you would not have given tuppence for their chances (certainly Lloyd did not) but Joyce, who took over from Mark Hateley, has done so well the local trawlermen are reluctant to let him have a loaf and two fishes in case he puts their industry out of business.

Since 9 January they have lost only twice, taken 29 points from 15 games and safety beckons. There were even "sold out" signs on Saturday and the game was delayed 15 minutes so great was the crowd. A point was good for Hull, too, because they can see future now where once only the past made good viewing.

Not that the match was particularly distinguished. Six- pointers where League existence is at stake are rarely edifying and this was the archetypal nervy affair. Gary Brabin put Hull ahead with a header four minutes after half-time and Jon Whitney had a shot cleared off the line but you would need to be a bigot to begrudge Jamie Hoyland's looping header that rewarded flu-ridden Scarborough's endeavour and spirit.

"We're satisfied," said John McGovern, Joyce's assistant who was winning European Cups with Nottingham Forest 20 years ago. "The fairy tale would have been for us to have played like world beaters but football's not like that. Both teams were fighting for their lives."

The home management were happy; Addison was exultant. "This is a big club," he said looking round Boothferry Park. "The crowd today proved that and the atmosphere was brilliant. It's been a brilliant day, I said to the Hull people, `Let's hope we're both around to do it again next year'."

On Saturday's evidence they will. The gravest fears have been passed to Hartlepool.

Goals: Brabin (49) 1-0, Hoyland (79) 1-1.

Hull City (3-5-2): Oakes; Greaves, Edwards, Whitney; Swales, Harrison (McGinty, 21), Brabin, D'Auria, Williams; Alcide, Darby (David Brown, 72). Substitute not used: Perry.

Scarborough (3-5-2): Parks; Rennison, Hoyland, McAuley; Carr, Jones, Porter (Saville, 68), P Atkinson (Robinson, 81), G Atkinson; Roberts (Worrall, 68), Tate.

Referee: B Knight (Orpington).

Bookings: Hull: Whitney, Edwards, Darby, D'Auria, Williams.

Man of the match: Hoyland.

Attendance: 13,949.