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DAGGERS DICTIONARY "Woolmer" Either (1) a total lack of understanding of the laws of football (see also Ives, Yerby), or (2) the equivalent of a "Cheat" (see above) in the Hereford area of Wales.

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Har Har Good news for Boston United? by Hardy on 16/01/2004 Boston United look to have found a new saviour following the demise of Dodgy Des. Hardy looks at the latest events up Lincolnshire way. Boston saga nearing an end? After nearly two years of no visible forward progress under Dodgy Des Wood, a property developer who was so obviously looking to sell the clubs York Street ground from under them, it Looks like Boston United have finally found a saviour in a Midlands based "businessman" Jon Sotnick. Wood was forced to return the club to the ownership of the Malkinson family on the 1st of January 2004 after his option to purchase the club expired. Wood had famously applied for planning permission to build on York Street with promises of a new ground, but without ever either coming up with a site for the new stadium, or even applying for outline planning permission. The Malkinson family had owned BUFC for many years but signed over their rights to Wood shortly before the Bostongate scandal hit on the promise of a bright future which has failed to materialise. Pat Malkinson, the former chairman of the club was subsequently found guilty of two charges by the FA as part of the Bostongate affair and fined and suspended from being involved in football. A report on Wednesday in the Boston Standard says that "Mr Sotnick is a Stafford-based businessman who leads a consortium of fellow professionals intent on helping Boston United climb the English footballing ladder." Mr Sotnick is quoted as saying "As a consortium, it is our intention to offer Boston United Football Club a platform to progress. At present we recognise unconditionally that significant investment is needed both on and off the field of play, and that is paramount in our thoughts." Wonderful stuff for the poor hard pressed Pilgrims who have suffered such doubt and anxiety about the fate of their football club for so long.  But wait, hang on a second... Good Evans, who is that? Apparently Steve Evans, (left, copyright Phil Cole/Getty Images) has known Sotnick for over ten years and has even been a director of one of Sotnick's companies. A report at BBC Lincolnshire says that Evans is strongly rumoured to be part of the consortium, indeed Des Wood has said that he is, although the man himself denies this.  Of course Evans is well known as being a man you can trust the word of, right? Boston United won the Nationwide Conference in 2001/02 on goal difference from the Daggers but it, Pat Malkinson and manager Steve Evans were subsequently hit with 16 charges relating to falsifying contracts and fined £200,000 and docked four points from the following season by the FA.  Dagenham & Redbridge FC and many other observers were disgusted that the points deduction did not come from the season when the offences were committed and that Boston were allowed to take one of the big prizes in football, promotion to the Football League, under such circumstances.   Evans is available to come back into football on the 4th of March 2004, in just seven weeks time, following the FA's farcical decision to start his 22 month ban from the date he was suspended by Boston United rather than the date on which he was finally convicted of charges of falsifying player contracts when manager at Boston United and then attempting bribery to cover up during the subsequent investigation. With Boston bumping along the lower reaches of the Third Division once again this season what is the betting that Evans is appointed the new Boston United manager sometime before the end of March? Who said cheats never prosper! Best summary of the situation at the moment As usual, it's Boston United, so its a mess. Des Wood has made a number of changes to the structure of the football club while in charge. The most significant of these are the assignment of Boston United's merchandising rights to BUFC Promotions, a company owned by Wood, and the appointment of various directors on salaries of up to £120,000 a year and a new paid chief executive Dave Pickett. Wood and his appointees remain on the board of the club despite forfeiting the right to buy it outright on January 1st 2004 when a proxy deal by which they could run the club signed by the previous owners, the Malkinson family, ran out. The Malkinson's are now looking to "do the right thing" by the football club but after putting a small fortune into it over many years are looking to offload it once again, hence the arrival of knight in shining armour, Jon Sotnick. Football, the peoples game!