Magic Boots - At A Cinema Near You?

It sounds like the plot of a cheesy football movie or something straight out of an old comic book...

(Written by Tactful Sheik)

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...but Dundee United's Steven Robb has been given a pair of magic football boots, which could turn the 24-year-old into the next Tannadice superstar.

Robb has been suffering from hamstring and back complaints for most of the season, but it's just been discovered that the source of the problem is actually a "pelvic tilt".

The former Dundee winger has just returned to training after receiving a pair of specially-made footwear, which have been designed to help the Perth born player avoid any further pelvis-related problems.

However, Steven Robb isn't the first footballer to benefit from a pair of magical boots, because Billy Dane found his own pair whilst cleaning out his grandfather's loft in a 1970's comic strip.

Billy Boot's - a comic strip written by Fred Baker - first appeared in the Scorcher 1970 (which later became the Tiger and then the Eagle comic book) and was based around a poor schoolboy who couldn't stop scoring after he put on the boots, which used to belong to a famous striker called "Dead Shot" Keen.

Then, in a year 2000 film comedy called "There's Only One Jimmy Grimble", young actor Lewis McKenzie played a Manchester Schoolboy who was given a pair of 'magic' football boots by a mysterious homeless woman.

Inspired by his special footwear, Jimmy Grimble lead his side to the final of the cup - which they predictably won, after coming back from a couple of goals down.

Dundee United will be hoping that Steven Robb will be just as successful in real life as the fictional characters of Billy Dane and Jimmy Grimble, but the winger still has a lot of hard work to do before becoming a regular in Craig Levein's 1st team.

"My injury problems have stemmed from my pelvis and the way I have been running," said Robb.

"I have had insoles fitted, so I have to collect the new boots over the weekend and the physio says I can go back into full training on Monday."

Robb appeared to be relieved after the root of his recent problems was diagnosed and seemed determined to put in the extra effort required to nullify the effects of his pelvic tilt.

"The problem turns out to have been my pelvis - an MRI scan of my hamstrings and back showed I'd never torn a hamstring - but a chiropractor I went to diagnosed a pelvic tilt," admitted Robb last week.

"What happens is that my pelvis tightens up and tilts which puts pressure on the nerve which then doesn't fire and causes the pain which we thought was coming from the hamstrings."

"I have had to get an insole for my boot to prevent my foot from turning in and am going to have to do a lot of core work which I am quite prepared for."

"Now we know what the problem is it's just a case of keeping on top of it. My aim now is to play 10 games in a row, something I've not done for maybe a year. That's the target."

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