By Peegs
February 28 2003

Hugh McAwful (McAuley) will be leaving the Robins in the not to distant future after the Board of Directors gave him permission to talk to other clubs, Chester lead the way in the battle for his signiture (what has their Scout been smoking?) Although McAwful as he has been named by the fans has played in the majority of games this season he will be allowed to leave Cheltenham when he can agree terms with another club.

The news of McAuley's probable departure has pleased many fans in what has been a dissapointign couple of weeks with only 1 point picked up in the games versus Barnsley and Colchester.

It is a fans choice of how to react to under performing players, do you get behind them in a hope they will improve or do you boo them? Unforunatly for the Scouser many fans had enough of his useless displays and in recent weeks he has been boooed on the terraces.

Many fans were baffled in Bobby Gould's first match in charge against Chesterfield when McAuley was given the nod ahead of John Finnigan, quite what Gould was thinking I do not know!

McAuley was a £20k purchase from Leek Town four years ago when Cheltenham joined the League and scored the first league goal at Whaddon Road with a penalty versus Hull City.

Since then he has only found the net a further 11 times in over 100 games, simply not good enough from a former Liverpool trainee who played in the same youth side as Robbie Fowler.

Some of McAuley;s laughable comments also didn't help in his quest to win over the fans, for example when in Division 3 he can be quoted as saying "my game is probably suited to Division 2" even more laughable is now in Division 2 he says "my game is probably more suited to Division 1". Sorry to dissapoint you Hugh but you are certainly not that standard a player!

Reports say he is on the verge of joining Chester City in their promotion push in the Conference, quite possible Hugh could be back at Whaddon Road playing next year if Cheltenham get relegated and Chester win promotion from the Conference.

cheltenhamtown.tk wish Hugh the best in the future but you just weren't up to the standards required at Division 2 level.