When Peter Boizot saved Peterborough United from financial ruin, a local goalkeeper stormed off after his teammates moaned at him and city snooker ace thrashed Hurricane Higgins

Peterborough United were dug out of a financial hole by multi-millionaire city businessman Peter Boizot in January, 1997.
Peter Boizot (front, centre) and the 2000-01 Posh squad.Peter Boizot (front, centre) and the 2000-01 Posh squad.
Peter Boizot (front, centre) and the 2000-01 Posh squad.

Mr Boizot purchased the club for a reported £500k. Posh were £2.5 million in debt at the time.

When Boizot bought Posh he was joint 66th in the Sunday Times UK Rich List alongside the Oasis Gallagher brothers with a £69 million fortune. It had all but disappeared by the time he stepped down a decade later. Mr Boizot is pictured (front, centre) with the 2000-01 Posh squad and the League Two play-off final trophy they’d won at Wembley the previous May.

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Other local sports stories making the headlines in this week in years gone by were...

City snooker and billiards ace Mark Wildman (back) with his local protege Jason SmithCity snooker and billiards ace Mark Wildman (back) with his local protege Jason Smith
City snooker and billiards ace Mark Wildman (back) with his local protege Jason Smith

JANUARY 22-28 1977

POSH: Spurs manager Keith Burtenshaw reportedly watched centre-half Chris Turner during a Division Three match against Preston.

FOOTBALL: Dave Bonner scored 10 goals as Western Star beat Eastern Eagles 43-0 in a Peterborough Youth Cup tie. Pete McCrudden (8), Billy Allwood (6) and Martin Bond (6) also filled their scoring boots. The only Star player not to score was goalkeeper Roland Dean.

HOCKEY: Max Webb scored the Peterborough Town goal in a 1-1 East Division draw against Bedford.

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RUGBY UNION: John Williams kicked all the points for Borough in a 13-12 defeat in a friendly against Leicester Westleigh.

SNOOKER: Peterborough professional Markham Wildman beat Alex Higgins 9-2 in a challenge match.

SQUASH: Eastfield’s Steve Gray made a fine Cambs County debut, recording a 3-2 win against a Norfolk player. The city’s other Cambs representatives, teenager Neville Keir and Tony Elsby, also won.

SPEEDWAY: Peterborough Panthers were shocked by the decision of top rider Tony Featherstone to swap Alwalton for Hackney.

JANUARY 22-28 1987

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POSH: Steve Phillips equalised for Posh from the penalty spot in a 1-1 Fourth Division draw at Aldershot.

ICE HOCKEY: Peterborough Pirates beat Kirkcaldy Kestrels 12-3 and Richmond Flyers 14-7 in two high-scoring British Division One clashes. Doug McEwen scored four goals against the Kestrels with Garry Unger and Todd Biner netting four apiece against Richmond.

HOCKEY: Mike Yeoman missed a penalty as Peterborough Town lost 3-0 to Old Loughtonians in the East Premier Division.

RUGBY UNION: Captain Danny Kitching claimed two tries and Pete Hedges also crossed, but Borough lost 30-16 to ain impressive Derby side.

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BILLIARDS: Markham Wildman lost 3-0 to fellow snooker commentator Ray Edmonds in the semi-final of the UK Billiards Championships.

CRICKET: Dave McQuillen smacked a brilliant 61 as Old Deaconians reached the quarter-finals of the Peterborough Indoor League with a handsome 78-run win over Whittlesey.

FOOTBALL: Andy Ruff and Gary Garner scored as Molins beat Gretton 2-0 in a Northants Cup tie.

JANUARY 22-28, 1997

ATHLETICS: PAC’s international athlete Femi Akinsanya won the Scottish Indoor Championship triple jump with a competition best leap of 16.19.

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POSH: Posh drew 2-2 at Shrewsbury in the first game following Peter Boizot’s club takeover. Scott Houghton and Louie Donowa scored for Posh in the League Two game.

HOCKEY: Kevin Bunten was sent off for the second week running in Peterborough Town’s 2-1 win at Dereham in the East Premier Division. Peter Hings and Shayne Andrews scored for the city side.

FOOTBALL: Botolph Arms goalkeeper Rob Graves stormed off the pitch after teammates criticised him for letting in a soft goal in a Sunday Morning League match. Referee John Cross then cautioned Graves as he headed to his car for leaving the field of play without permission.

POSH: Goals from Simon Davies, Chris Cleaver and Anders Koogi earned a 3-0 win over Millwall and a place in the last 16 of the FA Youth Cup.

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ICE HOCKEY: Peterborough Pirates were beaten 8-4 by Swindon and 19-6 by Solihull in British League games. Darren Cotton scored in boith games for the city side.

FOOTBALL: John Duthie (39) scored the first goal of his adult career for Bretton NE.

JANUARY 22-18, 2001

POSH: The club were voted team of the year at the PT Sports awards after winning promotion from the basement division, goalkeeper Mark Tyler was named footballer of the year and club legend Chris Turner won the services to sport prize.

ICE HOCKEY: Peterborough Pirates were thumped 9-4 at Fife Flyers to complete a 13-6 aggregate defeat in the Christmas Cup semi-final. Chris Jamieson (2), Mark Pallister and Kenny Mackie scored the Pirates goals.

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ATHLETICS: Chris Knights of Walton claimed his second county title of the season when winning the Intermediate boys race at the Cambs Championships. Knights pipped Ben Goymour (Orton Longueville) by three seconds.

POSH: Barry Fry’s team drew 0-0 at local rivals Northampton Town to make it 15 games without an away win in League Two. Midfielder Martin Williams made his Posh debut. Posh: Tyler, Gill, Scott, Edwards, Rea, Farrell, Williams, Oldfield, Hanlon, McKenzie, Ckarke. Sub used Forinton.

RUGBY UNION: Borough’s promotion hopes took a knock with a 15-9 defeat at home to Long Buckby. Rich Martin kicked all Borough’s points.

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