SAINTS' first FA Cup final appearance for 27 years will play havoc with tomorrow's athletics programme.

Poor Terese Swain can hardly believe that her debut as manager of Team Solent's British Men's League Division 3 team coincides with Gordon Strachan's heroes squaring up to Arsenal at Cardiff.

Three of her guaranteed point-takers, Andy Palmer (high jump), Darren Wall (sprints) and James Parker (800/1500m), are all heading to the Millennium Stadium instead of Wavertree in Liverpool, where Solent will be down to the bare bones of a team.

Apart from high jumper Dan Turner, they have no specialist jumpers available while, in the middle-distance department, steeplechaser Colin Palmer is their only recognised name while Martin Rust has been promoted from the C team.

"It's going to be awful," said Swain. "Not only does it clash with the FA Cup final, but being in Liverpool doesn't help because a lot of athletes won't want to travel."

Solent have also lost Lee Tindal, who aggravated his Achilles tendon winning the 110m hurdles at the county championships last week, while 1500m international Angus Maclean is one of several club members busy studying for university exams.

"I'd say we'll be without at least 50 per cent of our athletes," forecast Swain, who will herself be pining to watch the football.

She laughed: "Normally we have a big family do at home on Cup final day and the one year Saints are actually in it, I've got to be elsewhere!"

Swain's day will be made a little brighter if her pole vaulting son Ashley agrees to make the trip to Liverpool from his studies at Staffordshire University.

The AAA Indoor bronze medallist and reigning under-23 champion from Rownhams was due to see a consultant this week about a serious ankle injury which ruled him out of the recent British Universities Championships.

"Ashley needs an operation, but we're hoping he can strap it up and get through the season," his mum revealed. "Of the three ligaments on the front of his foot, only one is working. The other two are shattered.

"He did it a couple of years ago, but only found out on the way to the BUSAs when he called in for some anti-inflammatory tablets.

"We don't have any other vaulters at all going to Liverpool, so I'm trying to persuade Ashley just to do eight strides and get a height."

Thankfully, Solent should be better off in other departments. All their big throwers are competing and Wales and GB international Jamie Henthorn will spearhead the sprints.

Veteran hurdler Mike Coker, who managed Solent's BML team last season, has stepped down to concentrate on competing in the Southern League.

lMelanie Purkiss is revving up for her first outdoor 400 metres of the season on Sunday.

The 24-year-old, who struck silver for England in the 4x400m relay in Manchester last summer, is due to compete for Team Solent in the UK League Division 2 at Coventry.

After a solid winter's training, Purkiss has been bothered by a slight hamstring niggle in recent weeks, but was encouraged by her stress-free 24.32-second victory at last week's Hampshire AA Track & Field Championships.

She said: "The hamstring has been a bit frustrating, but I've wintered well and now I've just got to remember how to run the 400m again! It was nice to have that run-out in the county championships."

Purkiss plans to limber up for her one-lap tester by tackling the shorter sprints for Solent's B team in the Southern Women's League Division 1 at Bromley.

lCommonwealth 1500m champion Michael East missed out on the county championships last weekend to compete in the Balmoral Road Races in Scotland.

The Newham & Essex Beagle turned in an impressive performance to win the mile in four minutes and nine seconds, a sliver ahead of fellow Great Britain international John Mayock. Phil Tulba of Basingstoke & Mid Hants was ninth in 4.17.