BOTH Town and Lindley boxing champ Mark Hobson are hoping history repeats itself in the next eight days.

Town's crunch clash at Swansea tonight and Hobson's world title meeting with Enzo Maccarinelli tomorrow week mean Huddersfield and the South Wales city collide in both football and the fight game.

It's a situation which mirrors that of May 2004, when Town beat Lincoln in the then-Division III play-off semi-finals just before Hobson defeated the cathedral city's Lee Swaby in the second defence of his British cruiserweight title.

Hobson, who is also the reigning Commonwealth cruiser champ, halted Swaby halfway through the scheduled 12-rounder at Huddersfield Sports Centre.

It was his second win over tough former kick boxer Swaby, who remains the only man to have beaten Maccarinelli in 23 bouts.

To rub salt into the Welshman's wounds, the third-round loss, in his fourth bout in May 2000, was in the 25-year-old's own backyard.

Since then Maccarinelli has stretched his record to a fine 22 wins in 23 fights, 17 by knockout, collecting the World Boxing Union title along the way.

Hobson's record is 24 wins (12 knockouts) and a draw in 28.

Because tomorrow week's Manchester Arena match-up was orginally due to be between Maccarinelli and WBO champion Johnny Nelson, that organisation is also due to put an interim title up for grabs as well.

That means the winner will then be set to fight Sheffield's Nelson, currently injured, for the full title.

Hobson has previously fought for the WBU belt currently held by his forthcoming opponent.

That was in April 2001, when he lost to South African Sebastian Rothmann in nine rounds at Liverpool Olympia.

The fight proved a turning point for Hobson, who has now chalked up 10 successive victories.

He claimed the Commonwealth title in 2003 by beating Ugandan Abdul Kadou in four rounds in Bridgend (near Swansea!).

And he added the British crown by beating Stourbridge's Rob Norton on points in Sheffield later that year.

As well as Swaby, Hobson has made succesful defences against Liverpool's Tony Moran, who has been sparring with Maccarinelli, and Londoner Bruce Scott, so claiming a Lonsdale belt outright.

Maccarinelli beat Scott to claim the WBU crown in 2003.

* Hobson's Lindley local The Black Bull is running transport to the big fight. Contact Terry at the pub or ring Paula on 07779-262865.