football

One of my favourite United players - for his sublime skills on the pitch and the modest, understated way he conducted himself off it. Thanks for all the memories, Paul.

When I heard that Arsenal were busy making plans for their injured and oh so inspirational captain, Cesc Fabregas, to hoist the trophy aloft and end 6 barren years without a sniff of a trophy, I had a horrible feeling it might end that way.

Can you imagine the suspended United captain, a grey suited Roy Keane, doing that back in 1999 ? Can you even imagine Ferguson even contemplating that option for just a second ? No. Neither can I.

Manchester, near England - Wednesday 5 January 2011

The footballing world was left reeling yesterday at shock news emanating from Manchester City's training facility at Carrington. A local man, Frank Booth explains: 'I always pass the City training ground on my way to work so I always check out the players going through their drills. Yesterday I was quite shocked to see all the players smiling and laughing. I couldn't believe my eyes so I stopped for a closer look.

Frankly I think the pair deserve each other but some excellent quotes from Tevez's agent, Kia Joorabchian, on Garry Cock.

'Garry Cock thinks he's bigger than Carlos Tevez.'

'Garry Cock has an inflated opinion of himself. I brought him in from Nike after he begged me to get him a job in football.'

'I got him a job which paid him more than four times what he was earning at Nike and he didn't complain about me then but it's all gone to his head.'

United players line up for the identity parade. Paul Scholes has been excused to 'quickly go to the toilet'.

I admire Wayne Rooney's skills as a footballer and I honestly don't give a flying fig about his sordid, personal life. Unfortunately, I don't think Wayne Rooney is blessed with that much intelligence. This isn't a criticism, merely a statement of fact.

If Alex Ferguson says the sky is green, then the sky is green. If Alex Ferguson says you have an ankle injury, then you have an ankle injury.

With no Premiership or Championship fixtures at the weekend, I went along to watch my local non league club, Kingstonian FC, play on Saturday afternoon.

Kingstonian play in the Isthmian League which is a regional league below the Conference (sponsored by Ryman so also known as the Ryman League) and were hosting Margate.

The British media may have given the impression in recent weeks that we considered the German national tootball team to be a rather workmanlike, efficient, collection of young talent coupled with experienced internationals but lacking in imagination and devoid of much creative talent.

Some less respected elements of the British media may have given the impression that England's recent, comprehensive 4-1 defeat by Germany was somehow a freak result that was purely the result of a refereeing error that denied England an equaliser.

Tuesday 1 June

Mr. Capello announces the final squad of 23 players for the World Cup. There was the odd surprise and some devastated players as we say a tearful farewell to Huddza, Johnno, the Scott-Meister, Les (Dawson), Dazza The Bender, Walcottza and the quiet one (I think his name was Leighton Baines).

Saturday 5 June

This year's Carling Cup Final between Aston Villa and Manchester United will take place at Wembley on Sunday 28th February 2010.Curiously, this date marks the exact 34th anniversary, to the very day, of Manchester City's last trophy.

After United defeated Millwall 3-0 in the 2004 FA Cup Final, all the United players changed into shirts numbered '36' in a tribute to the young player, Jimmy Davis, who had recently died in a car accident.