Joint Manager Glenn Kirkwood said: “Rob can’t get to training and therefore couldn’t commit himself to the Club. A fit Rob Gill would have been a distinct asset to us, but he realised his problems and his departure was by mutual agreement.”

Gill wrote himself a little niche in the history of Heanor Town by becoming the first player I can remember to score a hat-trick on his debut, a feat he achieved in the 9-0 thrashing of Anstey Nomads on the Town Ground on November 20th, the last game the Lions played before the inclement weather set in.

The striker’s other games were in the home game against Borrowash Victoria and the away game at Barrow Town. He was on the bench for last Saturday’s game against Bardon Hill but was an unused substitute.

Heanor Town will retain the player’s East Midlands Counties League registration.

Another player on the bench last Saturday but who notched up a bit of history but in a different way was Dan Williams.

Although the striker got barely ten minutes of action, coming on in the 86th minute, he was involved in the move which gained the free kick from which Nathan Benger got the Lions dramatic winner almost six minutes into stoppage time.

Williams appearance as a substitute in this game would, under other circumstances, have been barely worth a mention, were it not his 50th appearance for the Lions. And whilst it wasn’t marked with a goal, the player can take pride from helping the club to three much needed points and their first win of the year.

Asked about a possible replacement for Gill Glenn Kirkwood said: “We won’t be in the market. Lee Naughton has resumed full time training and should be back in action within a week; Richard Hodgman has returned from his holiday, and Ash Grayson will be back on the front line. All three could have played some part in the League Cup tie at Holbrook Sports last night (Wednesday)”.

With more than half the season to go, Kirkwood, whilst being delighted that his charges are challenging for the title, is not too worried about the league position.
“It’s where we are at the end of March which will be the telling factor, and I hope that it will be in a challenging position.” he said.

“Our first obstacle is the League Cup. All the players feel that we can win this competition, and if we were successful at Holbrook we will be only ninety minutes away from the Final.”

At the other end of the scale the people responsible for running the Club are seriously anxious for its future.

Director/General Secretary Keith Costello has recently issued an appeal for people interested in the welfare and future of the club to come forward and help to run it, but so far no one has, once again, offered to take up the mantle.

With the club possibly on the verge of Step 5 football for the first time in its history it would be utter devastation for those who have worked so hard over the last couple of decades if it were to fold due to lack of help.

With a host of clubs, many with much bigger names than Heanor Town, going to the wall over the last couple of seasons with financial problems, it would be unique if Heanor, a club without creditors on its back, were to cease to function just because the people of the town and surrounding area don’t want to run it.

And with Saturday’s gate of 107 taking the average League gate this season into three figures, there is every sign that the club has a healthy future with just a few more people on board to lift the workload.

Stan Wilton

pic: Central defender Brett Peel