Midweek match: Runcorn FC Halton. Venue: Rivacre Park. Date: Tuesday, February 15: REARRANGED from Boxing Day, this clash should have been former Vauxhall manager Alvin McDonald's first league return to Rivacre Park.
The game that day was postponed due to the hazards caused by frozen terraces, denying the Motormen's most successful boss his comeback.
There have been major upheavals at the Linnets since then with McDonald and his faithful deputy Peter Carroll both being dismissed after less than three months in charge.
Rather than focusing on the action on the pitch, Runcorn fans are just hoping that their club will be able to survive the rest of the season.
The cash-strapped outfit need to find £120,000 to cover stadium rental and players' wages for the remainder of the campaign and they have just staved off an eviction threat from their Halton Stadium home after they owed the complex's borough council owners £3,000.
LIST (Linnets Independent Supporters Trust), a fans' organisation formed a year ago has started to take a leading role in fighting the current financial battle and the long-term goal is to see their club return to its home town.
McDonald quit Vauxhall in October 2003 to pursue his long-time ambition of managing in the Conference.
However, his stay in non-league football's elite division lasted barely two months. His dream turned into a nightmare as, without a contract, Northwich Victoria were able to sack him after barely two months in charge as he failed to revive the club's fortunes.
A 10-month period of unemployment followed before he was recruited by Runcorn this season but the club's offthe-field problems meant that results were generally disappointing.
After another early dismissal, McDonald, who has been replaced by Steve Soley, was left scratching his head as to why Linnets' chairman Dr Dave Robertson had relieved him of his duties.
He said: 'When I asked why, he couldn't tell me. I said there must be a reason for it - he must have a reason or an explanation. After quite a while of not getting anywhere on that one, he said he'd decided to take the club in a different direction and that he won't be going back on his decision. That's all I know.
'If it was through money or financial considerations, which the chairman hadn't told me it was, he hadn't asked me would I take a pay cut or do it for nothing and just see the season out until May. That is something Peter and I would have done. I believed we were more than capable of keeping our place in the Conference North.' Form guide: Feb 5 L 0-1 v Worksop Town (H); Jan 29 D 1-1 v Barrow (A); Jan 25 L 2-5 v Carlisle United (H); Jan 22 W 1-0 v Alfreton Town (H); Jan 8 L 1-2 v Moor Green (A).
