News round-up

Basham out for the season
Lazy sub-editor's dream, Steve 'Basham bashes 'em' Basham, is out for the season. This probably puts paid to his efforts to break a half century of goals for the Us. Salary, injury, patchy form and a lack of goals means it's unlikely he'll make the cut at the end of the season.

It seems amazing that Basham is ranked amongst the club's highest ever goalscorers given that it's difficult to remember a single goal he's scored. This isn't Basham's fault; it's not exactly been a march of glory in the last few years, so his goals have rarely taken on any lasting significance.

It's a bit of a shame, he seems a nice bloke and a good club man. He even got on well with Anne Diamond when pushed onto the Radio Oxford breakfast show. You'd like to think that he has something to offer the club off the field, but it's still a bit early to for him to hang up his boots.

Gilly in
Old creaky bones Phil Gilchrist will be fit tomorrow, probably. "Fit" may be a relative term when it comes to Gilchrist, who is increasingly like a patched up G reg Golf GTI. Seems to have enough under the bonnet, but he needs to be held together with plenty of gaffer tape.

Duffy is a doubt, leaving Yemi and Robinson as the only fit senior strikers. This needn't be a problem tomorrow; where we have to be confident of taking the points, but Kidderminster on Tuesday is quick on its heals so let's hope none of them go 'ping'.

Play-off final for Wembley?
Intriguing chatter on This is United; apparently discussions are underway to hold the Conference play-off final at Wembley. Could we be about to witness another sea of yellow and blue at the old (new) stadium, twenty one years after our last visit?

It sounds too good to be true, and probably is.