Good to Mr Mackinlay isn't wasting his and parliaments time with trivial matters like health care provision in Thurrock, overdevelopment in Thurrock, over taxation nationwide etc.

Wasn't aware that Mr Macklinlay was was an avid Grays fan either. But still I agree with what you're saying. Can't think of a more pressing issue Mr Mackinlay could have brought up in Parliament that affects the residents of Thurrock. The place is a modern day paradise.

Perhaps he was offered free tickets to the pre season friendlies.

STRIKER Carl Gibbs has vowed to put his annus horribilis behind him and make a success of his full-time chance with Woking – all in the name of his late brother and a jailed former team-mate.

The 27-year-old forward rejoined his old Farnborough bosses Frank Gray and Gerry Murphy on an initial month-long deal at Kingfield last Friday, 24 hours before making an impressive Blue Square Premier debut against Forest Green.

It marked the end of a truly forgettable spell in which he was held on remand with Grays midfielder Ashley Sestanovich last July for a crime he was found not guilty of, failed to settle at Sutton, Tooting and Basingstoke and then suffered the heartbreaking death of his 13-year-old brother Mason in May.

“It’s been a real hard year,” Gibbs told The NLP last night. “I didn’t think I’d get another chance to play Conference football or higher because my name's been trampled on.

“I’d been on trial at Barnet and was told Liam Daish wanted to sign me for Gravesend. Then I got arrested for something I didn’t have a clue about, and the trial went on until Christmas.

“My brother had had cancer in the testicular area since he was ten. He got rid of it but it came back in his spine. I was at Walton & Hersham when he was first
diagnosed and manager Alan Dowson and chairman Alan Smith did me proud, letting Mason stay with us in the hotel during our FA Trophy run. He knew what the outcome was going to be and wasn’t frightened. He was ready.

“Now I’m over it all, my head’s clear and I’m looking forward to settling down and doing well for Frank, myself, my brother and for Ashley.”

Gibbs was held in Wandsworth prison for two-and-a-half weeks charged with conspiracy to rob. In the summer of 2005, there had been an attempted robbery at the roofing company for which he worked in Streatham, and Thomas Fahey was shot dead.

On December 22 last year, barber Damien Ennis and unemployed Hallroy Reid, were jailed for robbery and manslaughter. Gibbs was cleared but his lifelong friend Sestanovich, the ex-Sheffield United player, was jailed for eight years. He is appealing.

Gibbs says: “The evidence they arrested me on didn’t make any sense. I was sitting in the cell, so confused. So was Ashley. He had phoned his barber – who committed the crime – to get a haircut. I spoke to Ashley about half an hour after that and from our two-minute conversation, we were supposed to have set up a robbery!

“The barber had asked me if I could get him a job because every time I went there with Ashley I paid with a £50 note. He’d asked why and I told him it was because I’d just got paid at work, and my boss always paid me in £50 notes on a Friday.

“He must have put two and two together, thought there’d be cash there and gone to rob the place. He didn’t get any money and he ended up killing my boss’ brother. My boss still thinks I had something to do with it and just got lucky.

“It was a relief to be cleared, but I still feel bitter towards Ashley being in prison. We were brought up in Brixton – not the best area. I’ve tried my hardest to get out, and I bought a house in Beckenham with my girlfriend Sarah two years ago.

“Ashley was the same, getting his move to Sheffield. We don’t have any drug dealers, robbers or people like that among our friends. Now Ash is serving eight years and his baby, who was born three days after he was sentenced, will be nearly eight before he gets out if he loses his appeal.”

Gibbs adds: “I’ve found that mud sticks with some people. Now Frank and Gerry giving me a chance at Woking is a way of doing something for them, me, my brother and Ashley – and showing that I am nothing like a bad apple.

“I am intent on making a lot of people