Former Holbeach physio Carol has awful night on Linnets duty

Former Holbeach United physio Carol Holland had a night to forget while on
National League duty with King’s Lynn Town.

Carol – who is head of medical at the Linnets – was travelling back with Lynn striker Michael Gash from a fruitless trip to Chesterfield following a late postponement when his Mercedes hit a pot hole on the A1 and blew a tyre.

After almost six hours of waiting in a lay-by, the striker’s vehicle was finally picked up by a recovery vehicle and the duo finally arrived back at their respective homes just before 4am.

Carol – who lives in Deeping St James – said: “I can’t say that I’ve ever spent six-and-a-half hours sitting in a lay-by sharing a packet of crisps with a footballer before.

“We had literally just got on the A1 after the bus had dropped us off at the pick-up point at Newark.

“Gashy knew straight away what had happened and we were forced to pull in a lay-by which had been coned off for roadworks.

“It was about 8pm by this time and Gashy spoke to Sarah, his wife, who then in turn contacted the RAC.

“Two hours later we had workmen, who kindly made us cups of tea in the end, asking us to move out of the lay-by, but obviously that wasn’t possible.

“At midnight we were informed that the RAC were unable to pick us up and that they had passed it on to a local contractor from Grantham, who eventually got to us at about 2am.

“Even when we did get back home, Gashy’s dad had to come out to pick him up from the garage at Deeping and I think he ended up spending the rest of the night at his parents’ house.

“It didn’t get any better for me either. No sooner as I’d got into bed, my husband’s alarm was going off an hour later to get up for work.”

It compounded a miserable night for the Linnets’ pair after the game against the Spireites had been called off some 10 hours earlier due to a waterlogged pitch.

Carol – a qualified sports therapist who works for the Stamford-based FCV International Football Academy – added: “Looking at the weather report on the way to Chesterfield, you always knew that the game was never going to be on.

“It’s ridiculous with the Covid situation that it wasn’t called off any earlier. A lot of people had taken time off work and now they will have to do it again if the match is eventually played.

“Apparently, Chesterfield had spent the day clearing snow off the pitch before a sudden downpour left standing water on it just as we arrived.”