Category Archives: Features

Obituary: Dennis Signy

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Every member of the Football Writers’ Association would agree – without the drive and input of former chairman Dennis Signy OBE and his wife Pat, for many years executive secretary, the FWA would not be where it is today.

Dennis passed away at 4am this morning aged 85. It is difficult to think of anyone who has contributed as much to football writing and particularly the FWA as Dennis.

Tributes poured in from those who knew Dennis. “He was old school and new school and was widely respected by everyone,” said executive secretary Paul McCarthy, a former chairman. “Dennis was the main reason I wanted to join the FWA. He went on a recruitment drive to bring in some new blood. He explained to me the history of the FWA, what it meant and what an honour it was to serve on the committee.

“When I joined the News of the World as a young reporter he was one of the first to phone me up and offer any assistance. Dennis was brilliant. He was a sounding board for young journalists. He told us never to cut corners and was always willing to help.”

“Dennis and Pat were hugely supportive of the FWA, not least the regional dinners,” said former chairman Steve Bates. “They attended every dinner around the country. Dennis must take a great deal of credit for pushing the FWA to where it is today and ensuring a close relationship with all the footballing bodies, particularly the Football League.”

Mike Collett, Reuters global football editor, first met Dennis as a 16-year-old schoolboy and started to work for him at the Hendon Times two years later:

He said: “Dennis was my first editor when I joined the Hendon Times as an 18-year-old in 1972 giving me a job and keeping me on throughout my indentures despite insisting every other week that I should get my hair cut. He was a brilliant editor, a real inspiration and a guiding light throughout my career. He loved to tell the story of how I conned him on expenses every week claiming 50p mileage to visit Elstree Fire Station for my weekly call — until he eventually found out it had closed five years earlier. He asked for the money back – he never got it. A wonderful man, a true Fleet Street and football legend, He will be sadly missed.”

John Ley of the Daily Telegraph said: “He was an absolute font of knowledge for everything connected with football. The fact that he was honoured tells you all you need to know about him.”

Dennis Signy was a former wartime cub reporter on the Hendon and Finchley Times at £4-a-week and became group editor for 17 years in the late Sixties. He was a national football writer for five decades, spending 17 years with the News of the World and five with the Times. He was also the author of several football books.

Commanding instant respect from everyone involved in the sport, Dennis had brief spells with Brentford and Queens Park Rangers as chief executive and in 1969 returned to the Hendon Times as editor, forging its reputation as a campaigning paper. During his 17-year leadership he was awarded an OBE in 1983 for charity and community work in the Barnet area.

Dennis livened up press boxes when he wrote celebrity reports for the Sunday Express, accompanying such diverse figures as Michael Howard, Cilla Black, Jeremy Paxman and Delia Smith to watch their adopted football teams.

He became a consultant to the Football League who recognised the benefits in employing someone with so many friends in Parliament and Fleet Street.

More recently Dennis was PR consultant to Barnet chairman Tony Kleanthous.

Our thoughts are with his family and wife Pat at these saddest of times

My Week: Andy Mitten

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Andy Mitten on no Wise guy…a dancing daughter…and Xavi, the best talker in football…

Sunday, May 27
Sunday starts with an early morning rejection in paradise. I’m in Barbados to cover the PFA British Airways Legends tournament. Last year was good – 17 interviews done over four days on a beach for FourFourTwo. It made up for the hours waiting in mixed zones throughout the season.

The chat with Gary Speed in which he spoke of his love for his family was published just before he died. One tabloid lifted it for their front page and described it as ‘Speed’s last emotional interview.’ Which wasn’t true.

An interview with an unemployed Roberto Di Matteo gained additional currency when he was appointed Chelsea boss, especially the line about him training as a butcher.

My brief this time is to get Gianfranco Zola, Gus Poyet, Alan Shearer and Dennis Wise. The big one will be Wise, in part because he does so little media and I’ve got a substantial list of questions, some close to the bone.

I don’t know Wise and have heard mixed reports, but he appears cheery as he walks along the beach alone at 7am. I introduce myself shortly afterwards and he’s all smiles. He does not, however, want to do the interview. Wise says it’s something about a past dispute with the magazine, which is news to me. And everyone at the magazine.

Players usually want to speak to FourFourTwo. They like it and respect it, the biggest names. Not Wise.

The tournament, which is played in the historic Kensington Oval, sees Manchester United retain their title after again beating a very strong Chelsea team in the final. The United lads are buzzing and celebrations go on late.

Monday, May 28
Bit of work, bit of sea and sun. It’s not normally like this. Interviewed Zola, Poyet, Yorke and Shearer last night. Wise didn’t do any media.

Share a brew with Bojan Djordic, who talks of his plans to find a new club. Football is a precarious profession and the Serb has no idea where he will be living in a month, let alone a year. He’s lived in three countries in the last year alone and the stress has contributed to the break up of his relationship with a Swedish model. If contracts were awarded for enthusiasm he’d back at Old Trafford. Los Angeles is mentioned. Bojan’s the sort of lad who would have Angelina Jolie’s number within a week of arriving. And also any expat Serbs’ with questionable backgrounds.

Fine meal at night with the eight other journalists on the trip. An interesting discussion between the young guns who are keen on football writers who obsess over tactics. And the older heads who think said writers have little right to analyse tactics when they’ve not played, managed or coached football.

“You’re missing out on some of the world’s great novelists to read about football tactics,” an old hand admonishes his junior. “Shouldn’t you being going out, getting drunk and speaking to girls?”

Tuesday, May 29
Up at 6am in rainy Barbados to write my weekly column for Yahoo-Eurosport. I spoke to Gaizka Mendieta, who is playing in the tournament on Saturday and got him to run through the Spanish team. I bolster his comments with a few words from Xavi, the best talker in football. I first interviewed Xavi in 2003 but he only gave me his number three weeks ago.

Spend three hours reading, editing and sending articles for the next issue of United We Stand to a designer and sub editor in Manchester. We’ve got the 56-page summer number to be done in a week. I was unsure whether to publish because the mood isn’t great among fans, but then fanzines can be at their best when all is less than harmonious and our readers are loyal. And we’ve had loads of quality contributions sent in and our line-up includes interviews with Rio Ferdinand, Louis Saha, Sir Alex Ferguson and one of the Happy Mondays.

Most days are spent in front of a computer screen in Barcelona or Manchester. I’ve divided my time between the two cities since 2001 and probably keep Monarch Airlines flying. I’ll typically attend 30 United and 30 Barça games a season, plus another 20 around Europe and beyond.

Speak to Quinton Fortune about Cristiano Ronaldo, Man United’s reserve team players and the ones most likely to make it. He trains with them every day at Carrington so he knows his stuff; he even has a locker. I first met Quinton in 2000 when I spent a week with him in his native Cape Town for a magazine article. We bumped into kids wearing United shirts in the townships who didn’t recognise him, despite him being a first team player from their neighbourhood.

Quinton is excited about playing for United’s veterans in the Bernabéu this Sunday night. A 60,000 crowd is expected. As the only Spanish speaker (he played for Atletico Madrid), Fortune will be asked to do the media in Madrid. He does impressions of key Real Madrid figures like Raul and Jorge Valdano and jokes that he’s going to mimic them in the press conference.

Fly from Barbados to Gatwick. Michael Carrick is on the plane with his family. I can’t understand why he’s not in the England team for the Euros, but then I rarely understand much when it comes to England selection.

Wednesday, May 30
Land at fogbound Gatwick at 0545 after an eight-hour flight. Sat next to Mark Irwin from the Sun. He’s cutting, dry and very funny. One reason why I only get an hour’s sleep.

I’ve been away from my wife and 18-month-old daughter for five days and miss both badly. Skype is wonderful for keeping in touch and my wife has uploaded a video of our daughter dancing. It melts my heart and keeps my tired eyes open.

I feel shattered, but I’ve got the UWS designer and sub-editor waiting for copy and spend most of the day working in a lounge at Heathrow airport before flying back to Barcelona. Steve Kean is spotted charging his phone in T5, while I speak to Andrew Cole about this week’s column for the National in Abu Dhabi. I’ve written four pieces a week, usually on European football, for the paper since 2008 and ghosted a column for Cole for two seasons. Cole’s a joy to work with: ultra reliable and never afraid to speak his mind. He was honest and critical of Di Matteo in last week’s column despite knowing he would come face to face with him the next day. They blanked each other.

Cole could be hard work with the media as a player, but I put it down to shyness rather than arrogance. He’s a private person but once you know him you know exactly where you stand. I’d rather that than someone who appears to be the life and soul but is actually moody and unpredictable like others I won’t mention.

Cole’s life story from a kid on a crime ridden Nottingham estate to a European Cup winner is fascinating – and very few people know it. He’s the son of a cricket-mad Jamaican who ended up as a Nottingham miner who refused to cross the picket line in the miners’ strike. And I’ll never tire of him talking about playing in the best game I’ve ever seen: Juventus 2 Manchester United 3.

Arrive home at 8pm. Dance with daughter. Sleep.

Thursday, May 31
Sell the Madrid idea to a couple of editors and check prices to Madrid. It’s €160 for return train and a night in a hotel – good value. Email Real Madrid for a press pass. They’ve always been fine deal with, Barça too. Benfica were the worst club I’ve dealt with, totally disorganised.

Ask wife if she wants to come and make a weekend of it as Madrid’s a glorious city. She reminds me that it’s our wedding anniversary and says she’d prefer to stay at home after the trip to Zaragoza last month. We went as a family on the faster-than-Kanchelskis AVE train, but daughter wouldn’t sit still and was practising her chicken and cow noises on the other passengers. There and back, nonstop. I managed to write a feature on Zaragoza v Barça in between.

A compromise is reached. I’ll spend Friday night and all day Saturday with the family, then head to Madrid and stay overnight Sunday.

Spend afternoon writing a column for the Manchester Evening News, a Manchester angle based around being face to face with Chelsea-bound Eden Hazard and Di Matteo in the last two weeks. I’m not convinced they will ever work together…

Friday, June 1
All the cheap flights and trains to Madrid have gone. Find a solution – a midnight flight back. It means not having the expense of a hotel and more family time.

A tabloid reporter emails for an update on Pep Guardiola’s situation and confirmation that he wants to spend time in New York. My source on that was a friend of his wife who had told her excitedly that she was looking forward to New York’s shops.

Write a piece on Cristiano Ronaldo for the National and edit more pages of the summer UWS. They’re coming in thick and fast. I started UWS when I was 15 in 1989 and we’re now on issue 217. I devote about five days a month to it. About 40 people contribute in one form or another – writers, sellers, sources, distributors and designers. It’s an eclectic bunch – from the Telegraph’s Jim White to former pro (and United fan) James Scowcroft, Mancunian poet Mike Duff to some high-flying talents who’d rather hide their identity. I doubt their employers realise they also work for a mere fanzine…

I’m very proud of the team and love it when a talented writer gets picked up and goes onto better things. I don’t like it when Royal Mail increases postal costs by 40% for our overseas subscribers.

Good news and bad comes in the space of an hour. UWS has made the shortlist for the fanzine of the year for the second successive season. And I’ve lost my dictaphone. Good job I backed everything up.

Saturday, June 2
The cover design comes back and I test reaction on Twitter. It’s good.

Family day in Sitges, where Bobby Robson and Gary Lineker both lived when they worked at Barça. Watch a little bit of England v Belgium and catch up on Spanish domestic play-off news.

Sunday, June 3
Work during a very turbulent flight to Madrid and then write a colour feature about the vets’ game. United lose 3-2 to a Zidane-inspired Madrid side. It’s good fun. Speak to Van der Sar, Figo, Helguera after the game, plus the several of the other United lads who are like star-struck teenagers when describing what it’s like to play against Zidane.

Laugh it as a Madrid journalist who had just been embraced by Figo sees Andy Cole and say: “I need a photo with Cole. He was one of my idols!”

“Blimey,” says Sid Lowe, the Guardian man in Madrid who can’t believe the welcome Cole also got in the stadium. Sid’s got a book coming out on Barça and Madrid which I’m looking forward to.

Run back to the metro for a short trip to the airport and a midnight flight to Barcelona. Get home at 3am with another busy week ahead with interviews to write up ahead up the Euros and UWS due at the printers on Wednesday. Eagerly anticipating my own brief version of the close season and a complete escape from football.

Andy Mitten is a freelance journalist who has been editor of United We Stand for 23 years.

FWA Q&A: David Lacey

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The Guardian’s David Lacey on newly-wed mothers-to-be…a horsey steak in Albania…and English hacks protesting in Sofia

Your first ever job in journalism?
Cub reporter on the Brighton Evening Argus. First assignment: Paying the managing editor’s electricity bill.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
Only national service in the RAF. Never saw a plane!

Most memorable match?
1970 World Cup semi-final. Italy 4,West Germany 3

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Maradona’s dribble through the England defence in the 1986 World Cup

Best stadium?
Aztec Stadium in Mexico City

…and the worst?
Dinamo Berlin’s stadium on a freezing night with no cover..

Your personal new-tech disaster?
No-go in Japan in 2002. Phoned everything

Biggest mistake?
As a young sub on the Brighton Gazette laying out the weekly page of wedding pics I picked up a an old batch by mistake and several mothers-to-be found themselves in the paper as only just married.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Someone mistook me for Murray Walker saying I looked just like him. At least I didn’t sound like him.

Most media friendly manager?
Ron Greenwood, depending on the media.

Best ever player?
British : George Best. World : Pele.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Club : The first great Real Madrid side. International : 1970 Brazil.

Best pre-match grub?
The Emirates.

Best meal had on your travels?
A lunch St Etienne threw for the media when Ipswich played there in the early 80s. I’ve still got the menu.

…and the worst?
Several contenders from Eastern Europe. Albania’s steak and chips had just finished last in the 3.30 in Tirana.

Best hotel stayed in?
Broadmoor Country Club,Colorado Springs,before the 1986 World Cup.

…and the worst?
Can’t remember the name but it was in Sofia. The hacks travelling with England staged a sit-down outside the dump until the Cook’s man agreed we could move to a better hotel after one night.

Favourite football writer?
Geoffrey Green.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Radio Mike Ingham. TV Martin Tyler.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Greater mutual trust.

One sporting event outside football you would love to experience?
Ashes test.

Last book read?
John Keegan. The American Civil War

Favourite current TV programme?
I only watch old films.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
The autographed England shirt with Lacey No 10 on the back the FA gave me after I had covered my 10th and last World Cup.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Always listen to the pros. They’ve played the game and have a unique insight.

FWA INTERVIEW ADRIAN BEVINGTON

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HOW ENGLAND MANAGE THE MEDIA

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

THE DEMANDS of the football-covering media in England are greater than anywhere else in the world.

No other country has as many national daily or Sunday newspapers. Distribution in Spain, France, Germany or Italy would be impossible because of the size of those countries. So, on the continent, major cities tend to be served by one or two locally-based newspapers.

In England, the nine daily newspapers and 10 Sundays create an enormous rivalry, with sports desks wanting a strong news story for the back — ideally an exclusive — particularly when the national team are playing.

Abroad coaches, both at club and national level, usually have one press conference for all media outlets…radio, television, agencies and newspapers. In England, apart from the initial open press conference for everyone which is television-driven, there are then separate conferences for radio, agencies, daily newspapers and the Sundays.

I once attended the signing of a new player when the reporter from the local hospital radio asked Martin O’Neill for a one-on-one because “we have our own listeners, too.”

Every section of the media, particularly the written press, wants — needs — quotes others don’t have.

Adrian Bevington, now managing director of Club England, celebrates 15 years with the Football Association in November after initially joining them as media officer.

According to Bevington, the demands posed by the different and competing media outlets is: “one of the greatest challenges for us, particularly in tournament mode.”

He said: “It can be time consuming for the manager to do one all-in press conference, then the radio guys will want their interviews asking their questions, then you have the daily and Sunday briefings. At tournaments there is also a UEFA or FIFA TV interview. All this can last a couple of hours and because the manager has to be on his mettle it is quite intense. Also, inevitably there is a lot of repetition with the questioning.

“It’s a very different operational style to most other countries but it is part of how we operate. What started out as a press conference followed by a briefing for the chief football correspondents and chief sports writers now involves a briefing for the number two and three football writers on newspapers, too.

“At tournaments, the evening before a match we have a press conference with the manager and a player, usually the captain. After that the chief football writers want their 15 minutes with the manager to get their own angle for the next day’s papers which has not been out on the wires.

“We often have to scurry around in the stadium finding a room somewhere to hold this briefing, away from the other media outlets.”

In the search for back- or front-page lead stories the questioning can often be intense, bordering on hostile. So that necessitates some preparation for the England manager.

Bevington said: “What we do is not scripted but we have a good chat with the manager for half an hour over a cup of tea before the press conference to prepare for the sort of questions that might be asked. We do also try to work on holding something back for daily and Sunday papers’ conference where possible.

“I’ll never lose sight of how important an element of the job the media are. I’ve sat down with Roy Hodgson and all our managers for long periods to make sure press conferences are prepared for properly. Likewise we try to help the players where possible and we try to be aware of the ad hoc pitfalls that may come our way.”

But the best laid plans can occasionally end with the sort of quote that the media love but which has the FA’s communications team bracing itself for unwanted headlines. Two sprang to Bevington’s mind.

“When Howard Wilkinson was caretaker-manager of England in 2000, he said we might as well forget out the 2002 World Cup in Japan and concentrate on the World Cup in Germany four years later. That was a big statement for a manager.

“Steve McClaren, who had endured a torrid time from certain elements of the media, after giving his initial thoughts on the game against Andorra in Barcelona said: ‘You can write what you like now’ and walked out.

“All the managers I’ve known have tried to work with the media. Steve took more abuse than any manager but he dealt with the media well in that he never closed down and worked within the framework we set out. Fabio Capello came from a different culture and the concept of radio, dailies and Sundays press conferences was new to him but he went with it. Sven was very phlegmatic in dealing with the media and it’s been good to see how he developed a healthy respect over a longer period of time with the UK media. In reality all the managers have tried in their own way to work with the media.”

THE PRESSURE on the written media to produce original quotes is intense and the introduction of Sky Sports News in October, 1998 made the life of football writers far more demanding. While SSN is ideal for keeping up to date with who is saying what, all sports desks have the channel on and if a reporter files a “nanny” (nanny-goat = quote) from a manger or player that has been broadcast, the chances are he will receive a call to the effect: “Old news, chum, sorry…we’ve heard that.”

Bevington is aware of this and said: “When I joined the FA’s media team the press pack was growing but it seemed to kick-on during the period when England were away from Wembley, on the road, when Sven was manager at the start of the last decade. One of the most significant moments was the launch of Sky Sports News soon after the World Cup in France. Until then we’d never had a 24-hour rolling sports news channel.

“This had an impact on how the newspapers worked. While it’s a fantastic platform for live sports news it meant football writers had to seek stories that would hold until the next morning. “
THE GOOD news for Adrian Bevington was that six months after joining the Football Association’s media team he was off to a World Cup. The bad news was that France 98 and then Euro 2000 saw a return of hooliganism that prompted UEFA to threaten to send England home from the latter tournament.

Those dark days have thankfully gone and while the FA would never become complacent about trouble-makers, England travel to Ukraine and Poland for Euro 2012 confident the excesses of the recent past will not be repeated.

Bevington said: “My early days were tainted by the disorder we saw in Marseille while there were some incidents with our clubs in Europe, too. The nadir was Euro 2000 and we were all on what was called hoolie-watch. It was not an enjoyable experience and we came as near as we have ever been to being excluded.

“Thankfully, the legislation that came in during the September of that year started the sea-change that followed. The next two tournaments, the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea and Euro 2004 in Portugal, saw hardly any arrests among the England fans who travelled.”

The Football (Disorder) Act 2000 meant that those convicted of football-related offences had to surrender their passports to prevent them attending overseas matches.

Bevington said: “There will be fewer fans travelling to Euro 2012 but we’ll do all we can to support them and provide them with as much information as possible. It’s a very different environment now to just over a decade ago.”

One constant is the inevitable criticism when England under-perform but Bevington says: “Criticism of performance, tactics, team selection etc are undoubtedly part of the territory. We all accept this. However, once it gets personal and mocking of managers and players I think it crosses the line. This is generally headlines and imagery and I know this is also a frustration to the writers. This is the side of the job which causes me most difficulty. They all have families and vitriol and humiliation should not be taken as par for the course.

Bevington accepts that headlines about a turnip, the wally with the brolly and in the name of Allah go “come with the territory.”

He said: “Everyone around the England structure understands that. When England play it is not like we are a leading club side with other clubs playing that day, we are the main story generally across all the media space.

“However, what we have to do, and hopefully we can improve, is to create an environment the players really do, genuinely enjoy coming to. We want to remove the intensity of the pressure around the set-up so while still highly professional, it’s also fun.”

There will once again be a ban on ghosted columns by players (or coaches) during the European Championship, though the FA will not ban Twitter.

Bevington said: “Only a few players Tweet and we’ll manage this sensibly. It’s not so much a case of rules, more regulations as guidance and common sense.

“We’ll be in a city centre environment in this tournament and that brings a whole different dynamic. The use of social media is still relatively new – I don’t believe we had players on Twitter at the last World Cup, and when I started here even the internet was still, in many ways, in its infancy. That’s how much the situation has changed.”

Another challenge for Bevington is to remain close to the journalists who cover England while not revealing the secrets football writers crave. He said: “Things have changed a little since I became Club England managing director. It’s very much a management role and I’ve had to have a little more distance from the journalists than I had previously. I still like to think that I can enjoy socialising with them when we’re on tour. What I don’t have any more is the day-to-day involvement. There are people within the FA’s communications department who are excellent to deal with football writers.

“I enjoy the journalists’ company. The minute that we close our ears to what the media are saying we’re in trouble. It doesn’t mean we have to agree with them or act as the media are telling us to do so but we have to understand what opinions are out there and make our judgment calls with that knowledge.”

A myth among certain elements of supporters is that the media want England to lose because it makes for sensational headlines. Wrong. Football writers would much rather report on a successful England because, as we have seen on the sadly few occasions when the national team is within touching distance of glory, it creates a feelgood factor around the country.

Bevington said: “I know the guys who report on England, not just the print media but the broadcasters as well. There are a lot of really good journalists out there who want England to win.

Newspapers will sell more copies if England are winning. When England go out of a tournament the writers are almost looking through a window at the remaining games.

“The demands on journalists now are huge because of the 24/7 industry that football has become. I have enormous respect for them.”

FWA Q&A: Colin Malam

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COLIN MALAM on earphones and lap-tops…missing the kick-off at Wembley…and a brilliant Killing

Your first ever job in journalism?
I was a graduate trainee on the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo for three years. Then they declined to renew my contract and advised me to look for another occupation. So not the most auspicious of starts, as you might say.

Have you worked in a profession other than journalism?
Sort of. I was PRO for Westward Television in Plymouth for a short time; then, for an even shorter time, GEC in Coventry.

Most memorable match?
It has to be Liverpool’s extraordinary victory over AC Milan in the 2005 final of the Champions League.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
It’s already there, I think. It was when Pele mesmerised an advancing goalkeeper in the finals of the 1970 World Cup by going one side of him and allowing a pass to go the other.

Best stadium?
Tempted to say the Azteca in Mexico City or the River Plate in Buenos Aires, but nothing beats Anfield on a European night.

… and the worst?
Derby’s Baseball Ground used to be pretty bad, but it has to be Wimbledon’s old weatherbeaten home, Plough Lane.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
Where to start? I’ll bet the younger members of the profession cannot believe that, when abroad, we used to have to connect our laptops to a telephone receiver with a set of earphones to send copy. Needless to say, it didn’t always work.

Biggest mistake?
Travelling to London from Birmingham with Peter Batt and Bob Driscoll on the day I had finally persuaded the Birmingham Post to let me, then their new football correspondent, cover an England match at Wembley. Unfortunately, Peter and Bob were not working that day for their respective papers, the People and the old Sun. So we all repaired to their London local, the Cross Keys, and proceeded to have a high old time. Well they did, while I fretted about getting to Wembley. To cut a very long story short, I missed the kick-off and ended up running the last mile to the twin towers. Fortunately, Dennis Shaw, my oppo on the Birmingham Evening Mail, brought me up to speed once I collapsed into the press box, which was built into the roof at that time.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
No, can’t say I have. But I do recall failing to persuade a foreign football writer during the 1978 World Cup finals in Argentina that my companion, Denis Law, really was the great Denis Law.

Most media-friendly manager?
Terry Venables. Could be because I also collaborated with him on a book, of course. But Alan Ashman (who won the FA Cup with West Brom in 1968), Noel Cantwell, Ron Atkinson, Ron Greenwood and Arsene Wenger deserve an honourable mention.

Best ever player?
Lionel Messi takes some beating. Pele and Maradona were the greatest I saw before little Leo came along to challenge them.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
My favourite club side remains Bill Shankly’s first at Liverpool. It read: Lawrence; Lawler, Yeats, Smith, Byrne; Callaghan, Milne, Stevenson, Thompson; St John, Hunt … and performed miracles in the 60s and beyond. Internationally, it’s no contest. Brazil in 1970.

Best pre-match grub?
Again, no contest. Arsenal at the Emirates.

Best meal had on your travels?
A mountainous steak at a Buenos Aires steak house in 1978.

… and the worst?
A totally disastrous repast in Beijing during England’s short Asian tour before the finals of Euro 96. The restaurant was called the Peking Duck and served nothing edible. Four of us made our excuses and got some fast food across the road.

Best hotel stayed in?
The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, where England stayed for altitude training before the finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, was truly breathtaking.

Favourite football writer?
Hugh McIlvanney. His penetrating writing inspired me to become a journalist.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Two talented men from yesteryear. Peter Jones on radio, and Brian Moore on TV.

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers, what would it be?
Make players and managers more easily available for interview. There is nothing worse for a Sunday football writer than waiting all week to hear whether his or her request has been granted.

One sporting event outside football you would like to experience?
An England v Australia test match in an Ashes series.

Last book read?
Charles Dickens, A Life by Claire Tomalin

Favourite current TV programme?
The Killing (Scandinavian version), if that counts as current.

Your most prized football memorabilia?
The England shirt signed by Sven-Goran Eriksson that was presented to me by the FA on my retirement in 2003.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Stay away from newspapers. Go into radio or TV: they have a much better future.

Colin Malam covers football for the Sunday Mirror

My Week: Ian Dennis

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IAN DENNIS, senior football reporter for BBC Radio 5 Live, on purple paisley pyjamas…a race against time in Oxford…and snoring football writers

Monday May 21
A feeling of relief that the England media trip to Spain was cancelled. The prospect of another flight 24 hours after getting back from Munich was not one to relish. So it was off to Salford for a meeting with the head of radio sport and get my equipment repaired ready for the Euros.

Tuesday May 22
A day of housekeeping but not the household duties, of the work variety. Last week had been so frenzied i hadnt updated my stats for the final set of Barclays Premier League matches. On transfer deadline day Dan Walker affectionately mocked my shabby A4 notebook by calling it ” the book of destiny”, well this is the book of data! It lists every Premier League player with appearances and goals and I carry the current campaign and the book from the previous season too. Don’t worry, I wasn’t wearing purple paisley pyjamas but it’s good to carry round in case I need to check anything quickly.

I start my prep for the England squad for Euro 2012 before I get the call telling me I have ten minutes to react to Didier Drogba leaving Chelsea on Radio 5.
Finish off with match notes ahead of the trip to Norway.

Wednesday May 23
Day off and watch my son in a school cricket tournament. Literally feel the heat from the sunshine but it’s the next 24 hours where I’m nearly stumped.

Thursday May 24
If you are still awake at this point and thinking “what a life” then today is where the fun and games start. The day should have been to leave home at 8, watch England training at 10.30, interview players, react on radio then drive to Heathrow for early flight the next day. What actually happened was a scene with a combination of the wacky races and Challenge Anneka. I would be the swarthy one from the Ant Hill Mob but I don’t do pink jumpsuits.

After filing our interviews back, the request came in that I was required “live” at the start of 5 live sport at 7pm. The problem being that I was leaving Manchester at half past three and the sat-nav said our ETA was 1845. Our destination was BBC Oxford because a studio had been booked to do the “live hit” and then proceed to London.

The back-up plan was my producer, Alastair Yeomans, had a piece of equipment to broadcast remotely if we failed to make it. So off we set in different cars but we became detached and took different routes to avoid two sets of traffic congestion. As the clock ticked down there were frantic telephone conversations between the studio, Alastair and myself – yes, we pulled over to talk – as I drove the backwaters of Warwickshire.The ETA now said 18.54 but the studio insisted we should still aim for Oxford. It was a hot sticky afternoon and the pressure was on. Had there been a race then the honours would have gone to Alastair because he was holding the door open as I pulled into the car park at 18.56. Dash to the studio and on air within minutes but it was very tight.

Friday May 25
I have often been told I have a face for radio and today i could not argue. Frazzled from the night before, a 5am start was hardly conducive for looking bright eyed and bushy tailed. Mind you I wasn’t alone judging by the faces of some of the press pack who were also travelling to Oslo for the Norway friendly.

There is a good camaraderie among the media and 75 of us were scattered throughout the scheduled flight to Norway. Some snoozed, others snored … a taster for life on the road and in the air for the forthcoming trip to Poland and Ukraine.

I did both and in a semi conscious state was aware of the plane suddenly aborting its landing. The pilot calmly described the situation as as “go around” because there was a plane on the runway and he also had spotted a light aircraft. My eyes remained closed and it was off to the hotel before Roy Hodgson’s press conference.

I have been impressed with the new England manager and the way Roy Hodgson has conducted himself has been quite refreshing at the end of an exhausting two days.

Collina warns of zero tolerance at Euro 2012

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By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

Pierluigi Collina has warned that referees have been instructed to adopt a zero tolerance attitude at Euro 2012.

Internationals of England, the Republic of Ireland and other finalists who play in the Barclays Premier League are used to a more lenient style of refereeing where too often bad tackles go unpunished but in Poland and Ukraine they can expect domestic-type challenges which endanger the safety of an opponent to be punished by a red card.

Collina, a member of the UEFA Referees Committee and, since 2010, the head of refereeing for the Football Federation of Ukraine, also warned that there can be no surrounding of a match official at the forthcoming European Championship.

He said: “One of our main objectives is to protect players and we have reminded them [referees] to resolve actions that may jeopardise the safety of an opponent. UEFA also does not want to see a referee surrounded by players who are protesting.

“This does not give a good image and [protesting players can] expect yellow cards. We do not want to see 20 players in a massive confrontation and the initiators will be shown yellow cards.”

The 31 games at the finals will each be handled by a referee (Howard Webb is England’s representative among the 12 specialist referees), two assistants (Michael Mullarky and Peter Kirkup) plus two additional assistant referees (Martin Atkinson and Mark Clattenburg) who will focus on penalty area incidents.

A representative of the UEFA Referees Committee will visit each of the 16 finalists before the tournament starts to ensure national coaches know what to expect and can pass the guidelines on to players. Collina said: “The instructions given to match officials will be exactly the same to make it easier for players and coaches. We would like the referees, coaches and players to speak the same language in terms of football and interpretation of law.”

He said the referees, selected in December, were chosen for their performances in major UEFA competitions over the past two years plus their experience.

The Italian, who refereed the 2002 World Cup final, said: “Euro 2012 is the most important competition for UEFA. We have to have all our officials prepared to have the best possible performance during competition. Athletes need not only top referees. Being fit is important and we are watching this very closely.”

A seminar in Warsaw comprised 16 hours of lectures on different subjects for the match officials who have what Collina called “a crucial role because their decisions can affect the outcome of the match.”

He added: “Referees are accustomed to handling big games in their countries. They are also prepared to face any pressure in the Champions League, the Europa League and World Cup. They are here because they deserve to be here and UEFA is sure that they will do a great job.”

My Week: Scott Field

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Scott Field, head of media relations at the Football Association, on Hodgson’s choice…a new whistle…and why we should hear more of Lineker…

Monday May 14
The beauty of working in The FA’s media team is always the sheer variety of subjects we have to cover, and my start to the week is no different. Whilst everyone else begins the week still savouring the greatest end to a Barclays Premier League season there has ever been, my start is dominated by the other side of the game – mainly dealing with the disciplinary fall-out from the weekend that was. After scouring the 125 pages of newspaper cuttings – all featuring The FA or the England team – on the train, it’s an 8am start at my desk and a brief flurry of calls. Following up the nationals’ lead stories on Joey Barton’s potential suspension, the broadcasters are first to call to clarify the situation. Disciplinary matters are always very tricky for us as we have to make sure we are not prejudging any outcome, but at the same time we have to help guide the correspondents through the various hypothetical scenarios that they put to us.

Tuesday May 15
Preparations for the European Championship are in full flow in the office, but with the Olympics getting ever closer there are also plans to be put in place for our participation in the football event. Two of us from the FA media team will be seconded onto Team GB media duty, which means the morning is spent ensuring my laptop gets an IT health check, to enable me to work remotely during the Games. That’s followed by a suit fitting for the European Championship and a brand-new whistle from M&S, which can’t be bad, can it? Another major event on the horizon is the opening of the national football centre, or St. George’s Park as it is known. I usually spend at least one day a week on site at Burton, but not this week. Instead it’s a series of meetings at Wembley ensuring we’re keeping a good communications flow locally and nationally.

Finally, a quick dash into central London to meet our colleagues at the Football Foundation. The Foundation does some sterling work, renovating and upgrading some of the country’s most dilapidated grassroots facilities, so it’s always a pleasure to meet up with my counterparts to talk about their good news stories. Oh, and we all pick our England squads over a pint, which causes some lively debate.

Wednesday May 16
Roy Hodgson has chosen to name his England squad today, which means it’s one of the busiest days of the year in our office. My colleague Mark Whittle is handling Roy’s press conference, as Head of Media Relations for England, so it’s a watching brief for the rest of us as we huddle around the bank of four TVs we have in the centre of the office. Roy comes across well and handles the line of questioning with great skill. It always amazes me how little actually gets asked about football, just the news of football instead. After some three hours of media and supporter activity Mark and the excellent FA media operations team troop back up to the office, a little weary, to news of Kenny Dalglish’s departure from Anfield. As often happens, an already busy news day turns into an incredibly busy one. We finish the day with some of the writers who will shape the England stories of tomorrow, as we join Shaun Custis, Henry Winter, Andy Dunn, Paul McCarthy and Matt Lawton amongst others at the FWA Live event in town. Our Managing Director of Club England, Adrian Bevington, puts up a good argument on the panel in an animated session, which also features some fascinating insights from Gary Lineker – which makes me think Match of the Day would be well served by letting Lineker have more of an opinion on a Saturday night.

Thursday May 17
The newspapers are, on the whole, very supportive of Roy’s squad picks, which makes for good reading on the way into Wembley. I’m very privileged to have worked at some fine clubs like Watford and my first love West Bromwich Albion, but to be greeted by the imposing Wembley arch every morning is something quite special. I always enjoy spending time with some of our finest sports writers and so it’s with some enthusiasm that I go to my first meeting of the morning, with the excellent Patrick Barclay. There are a small number of topics on the agenda, not least Paddy’s enthusiasm for Roy Hodgson’s appointment. As a Throstles season ticket holder it doesn’t take long for me and Paddy to find common ground on the benefits of Roy’s teams. The rest of the day is spent preparing announcements around the England Under-21s, St. George’s Park and our upcoming CSR work in Poland.

Friday May 18
With everyone in the football world turning their attentions to the Champions League Final in Munich, it’s a chance to take stock and press on with a few day-to-day tasks. You can tell all of the writers are in Munich as the phones are quiet – a rare respite. This gives me chance to put into place a few plans for what will be one of the most important votes in grassroots football for a generation. On May 28, the FA shareholders (counties, leagues etc) will vote to introduce small-sided football for age groups up to Under-12s, meaning also that 11 year old goalkeepers will no longer have to defend the same size goal as Joe Hart. We need to secure 75% of the vote, so some positive coverage will go a long way for us. Thankfully we’ve had some great support from proponents of the common sense move, like Martin Samuel, Henry Winter and Pete Lansley. Wembley Stadium is hosting the play-offs this weekend, and at least one member of the FA press office will be on duty at each event. I’ve got this weekend off, but I’m down for the League One play-off final between Sheffield United and Huddersfield, but that though, is one for next week…

FWA Q&A: David Walker

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David Walker (Sports Editor, Sunday Mirror) on Blackburn’s freezing punch-up…fun with low-litre on a flight…and Brian Moore v Charlie Sale

Your first ever job in journalism?
Working in Manchester for D.C. Thomson, the publishers of the Weekly News, Sunday Post – as well as Beano and Dandy.

Have you ever worked in a profession other than journalism?
Yes. I spent five years in football as a director at Leeds United and Barnsley.

Most memorable match?
Liverpool beating St Etienne in the European Cup quater-final in 1977 at Anfield. Dominique Bathenay scored a left-footed screamer into the top corner at the Kemlyn Road end. You can find it on Youtube. It’s worth a visit.

The one moment in football you would put on a DVD?
Can I have two? Mark Viduka scoring all four goals for Leeds in a fight-back and 4-3 win over Liverpool at Elland Road in 2000. When Vidukes put his mind to it he could be an unstoppable opponent. Elland Road was rocking. It was a great game. Secondly, the Sing for your Supper nights staged by sponsors Opel for the media covering the Republic of Ireland away games. On the eve of a major international manager Jack Charlton would be there singing Blaydon Races. I particularly remember a special version of There Ain’t Nothing like a Dame, rewritten by the FWA’s Chris Davies. The new lyrics referred to a minor house fire suffered by a well-known TV pundit who was also in attendance. The lyrics scanned perfectly, Rodgers and Hammerstein would have been proud to hear the English press corps sing: “Beglin’s house went up in flames.”

Best stadium?
San Siro.

…and the worst?
Ali Sami Yen, home of Galatasaray until 2010 was the worst.  The coldest was the Lenin Stadium in Moscow for what we thought was a meaningless Champions League game between Spartak Moscow and Blackburn Rovers. The English champions had already gone out and were fulfilling the fixture. Some of the English press corps indulged in snow ball fights around the media cabins. After all, this was the game that wasn’t worth more than ten pars in our northern editions. Then David Batty and Graeme le Saux had their on-field fight and back page splashes and double page spreads were called for.

Your personal new-tech disaster?
I’m sure we’ve all endured that horrible moment when your computer screen slowly dies in front of you. It happened to me in Dublin in 1995 when the Republic of Ireland’s friendly with England had to be abandoned because of rioting England fans.  Thanks goodness the Daily Mail still had copy takers.

Biggest mistake?
There are probably too many but one was sitting between Tony Stenson and Peter Fitton on a late night trip from Izmir to Dublin. A litre of vodka had been purchased at duty free. That nice, friendly stewardess from Aer Lingus supplied the orange juice and all fluids were consumed by the correspondents on the flight. I was taking antibiotics and couldn’t touch alcohol. Let’s just say it made for an interesting three hours in the observer corps.

Have you ever been mistaken for anyone else?
Yep, former Wales midfielder Peter Nicholas. I had more hair then. During the five-year ban on English clubs post-Heysel I covered a few Scottish teams and was in Aberdeen for a UEFA Cup tie. My old mate Ian Porterfield was their manager and we met up for a couple of beers on the eve of the game. The next day the Ian received complaints that Peter Nicholas had been spotted boozing in a local hotel and should be dropped. But the super grass hadn’t spotted the person “Nicko” was drinking with was the Dons manager. Ian put the complainant right.

Most media friendly manager?
Jack Charlton during his days as Ireland boss and here’s a surprise nomination: Alex Ferguson. In the days when we could get to him and Fergie gave us his home and mobile numbers,  we knew if we kept him talking long enough he always delivered a back page splash.

Best ever player?
Denis Law and Billy Bremner.

Best ever teams (club and international)?
Johan Cruyff’s Holland, 1974-78. Didn’t win much but great to watch.

Best pre-match grub?
Steeles Restaurant (fish and chips), Cleethorpes.

Best meal had on your travels?
Botafumeiro, Barcelona. Recommended by Terry Venables. It was superb.

…and the worst?
The eve of match directors’ dinner in Ukraine when Leeds played Metallurg Zaporishny.

Best hotel stayed in?
Kempinski Palace, Istanbul.

…and the worst?
The brand new hotel in Tirana where the Republic of Ireland were billeted back in 1993. My room had cardboard window frames and cling film for glass.

Favourite football writer?
Ron Crowther (Daily Mail) for breaking stories. David Lacey (Guardian) for his analysis and match reports.

Favourite radio/TV commentator?
Clive Tyldesley (Radio City, Liverpool) Whatever happened to him?

If you could introduce one change to improve PR between football clubs and football writers what would it be?
Make it mandatory that every club has media areas with working wi-fi and signals for mobile phone. The fact that journalists can’t do their jobs in media areas at several Barclays Premier League stadia is astonishing and unacceptable for “the best league in the world”. One sporting event outside football you would love to experience? Given Frank Warren is now promoting unlicensed fighters I’d like to see the Brian Moore – Charlie Sale showdown on the undercard to Haye v Chisora.

Last book read?
Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman

Favourite current TV programme?
Not a programme, a sports website called Firstrowsports – great for 24 hour coverage of live sports events from around the globe. Warning – it could end in divorce and is probably illegal!

Your most prized football memorabilia?
Leeds v Barcelona programme from 1975 European Cup semi-final, signed by Johan Cruyff.

Advice to anyone coming into the football media world?
Be honest and open in your work. And when you get a major rollicking from a famous manager make sure you keep pursuing stories with him. Never skulk away and let him think he’s beaten you. Funnily enough, there are plenty of old pros who’ll confirm some of their best, lifelong contacts and relationships started out as rows over copy or headlines.

My Week: Gerry Cox

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Gerry Cox of Hayters on being mocked in public by Alec Stewart…a strangely attractive slag heap…and a truly Super Sunday

Monday May 7
Bank Holiday Monday so two things are guaranteed – it will rain and I will end up working on my day off. I have promised the kids we will have a family day out after spending the weekend working – Aston Villa v Spurs on Sunday and Arsenal v Norwich before that. My report in the Telegraph started as a thinkpiece on Van Persie’s future, after I interviewed him on the night he won his Footballer of the Year award, but ends up as a few pars of wire copy about Bacary Sagna’s broken leg.

Rain puts paid to the great active outdoors so look for alternatives. Younger son is fascinated by warfare and the history of human conflict, but decide against West Ham v Cardiff and take them to the Imperial War Museum instead. Two very moving exhibitions there – War Story is told by those brave boys serving in Afghanistan, and the Holocaust says it all. See the uniform worn by a friend’s mother when she was taken to Auschwitz at 15. She donated it last year shortly before she died. Both exhibitions bring home how lucky we are – and it is good that the kids appreciate this. Get updates from Upton Park among the calls and emails with work-related queries. Good to hear the Hammers have won, though feel for Malky Mackay, who was excellent when I interviewed him last month.

Stroll along the embankment before driving back through the city voted last week “the world’s best place to visit”. For all the cost and hassle of living in London, we are fortunate to have so much on our doorstep. Catch the last stages of Blackburn v Wigan, answer the last calls and emails of the day and start planning the week ahead.

Tuesday May 8
Up early to walk my boys to the tube and get the papers on the way back. Mirror leads on Abramovich offering Guardiola silly money to be manager, but my source close to the Russian has told me to ‘put my house’ on Mourinho going back there. I ignore him of course. Not a big fan of gambling since Hayters almost went under last year when a rogue employee stole over £100k to pay William Hill rather than pay VAT to HMRC. He’s on the run from the police now.

Walk my daughter to school and answer emails and texts on the way home. Japanese TV want us to interview Pat Rice about Financial Fair Play. I suggest this may not be his strong suit, and a look back over 44 years at Arsenal might be better. They agree. Quick trip to the gym to a) keep my knackered knee in some sort of shape, and b) work off two roast dinners from Sunday, one at Villa and one when I got home.

Then off to QPR’s training ground for an interview with Nedum Onuoha ahead of his first return to Manchester City. He talks intelligently and candidly about everything, including the Garry Cook affair. Desperately hope QPR can stay up – not only a local club, but their press office is friendly and helpful – a rare combination these days.

Quick dash to the office, to find a Chinook hovering over Tottenham, which feels more like a war zone every day. Then on to the Aviva Rugby awards in Park Lane to shoot a video for the sponsors. Players happy to stop and talk including Chris Robshaw, the new England captain and deserved Player of the Year. I haven’t covered rugby for 20-odd years, but Julian Bennetts, one of our bright young things, knows what he’s talking about and the sponsors are very happy. So am I. The fee for this job is the equivalent of covering 60 lower division matches for one of our leading national newspapers! Back around midnight to catch the highlights of Chelsea’s humiliation at Anfield and wonder if John Terry has played himself out of contention for England while Andy Carroll plays himself into the squad for Euro 2012.

Wednesday May 9
Just been told that our request for a second press pass at the Olympics has been approved so get my details into the accreditation office on deadline day. No idea what work we might do at the Games, as most desks have not even done their Euro 2012 planning. We have a meeting at Hayters to discuss how we will cover the tournament. There are likely to be four of us out there, and I will be in Donetsk for most of it. The official UEFA guide talks about the city’s ‘striking socialist statues’ and ‘strangely attractive slag heaps’ – and that is about it as far as sightseeing goes. I can’t wait.

Thursday May 10
The SJA have organised a lunch in the Old Cock in Fleet Street with Alec Stewart and the former England captain is forthright in his views on cricket – and Chelsea. Takes the chance to mock me publicly over Tottenham’s lack of Champions League participation and says beating Bayern and knocking out the 4th team would be a double whammy for Chelsea fans if it is Spurs. Take the chance to stroll down Fleet Street for old times’ sake and wander past the old Hayters office in Gough Square where it all started for me under the late, great Reg Hayter. Visit Dr Johnson’s office for first time, having missed out during all the years I worked next door. Starts pouring down with rain so I pull up a chair in his garrett and tap out a piece from the Alec Stewart lunch. Somehow fitting, though I doubt Samuel Johnson had the benefits a MacBook and wi-fi.

Then off to an evening with Gareth Southgate and Alan Smith in Victoria. I’ve known them for the best part of 20 years, since they were at Crystal Palace and they are both top blokes – even used to be shareholders in Hayters. Interesting to hear Gareth’s views about the choice of England manager and whether Terry and Ferdinand can both go to Euro 2012. Not sure I agree with him.

Friday May 11
A few calls and emails, as well as a preview of Chelsea v Blackburn for the Telegraph, then off to QPR’s training ground for Mark Hughes’ press conference. He is in remarkably relaxed mood considering the doomsday scenario QPR face if they go down. The club’s media team bring round tea and coffee before and after the press conference, and I wish them all the best on Sunday. Dash off to a meeting next to Queen’s Club in Baron’s Court with an Australian TV company who want to buy video content, and quickly agree a deal that should hopefully work out well for them and us.
Then back home in time for tea, while writing up my Sunday pieces from QPR.

Saturday May 12
One of those rare events – a Saturday with no work. Am at a loss what to do. At least I can spend a bit more time with the under-14 side I coach at the Brentham Club, where Peter Crouch played football, Mike Brearley learned his cricket and Fred Perry started on the road to tennis greatness. Trying to encourage kids to pass and move – and talk to each other – is not easy. Simple things take an age to sink in, but when it comes together – even for fleeting moments in games – it is enormously rewarding.

As 3pm approaches, I start to feel restless, knowing I should really be somewhere else. Decide to attack the garden, where the once lush lawn has been reduced to something resembling Derby’s Baseball Ground circa 1974 by my kids trying to perfect their slide tackle technique. Make a mental note to ask Wembley’s groundsman what is the secret to perfect turf.

Sunday May 13
Judgement Day, Super Sunday, the Day of Reckoning – call it what you may, this is clearly going to be a huge day in the Barclays Premier League. Pick up the Sunday Mirror to find my QPR preview has not made it in, but plenty of stuff from the other Hayters lads. First sunny Sunday for weeks so I am all for taking the kids out on the golf course that backs on to our garden, but persuaded to take them swimming. Feel like a fish out of water – and swim like one too. Realise I am distinctly under-tatooed, with some striking – and horrendous – body ‘art’ on show. And that’s just the women.

Then off to Stamford Bridge for a dead rubber,with Chelsea and Blackburn’s positions fixed already. Chelsea put out a second string except for those suspeneded from the Champions League final so the only way we will get a story is if someone gets injured, and you wouldn’t wish that on anyone. The pre-match food, however, is superb, easily the best in the country, with an exotic array of cold meats, fish and salads, followed by steak and kidney pie and a ridiculously rich choice of desserts.

Struggle to concentrate on the Chelsea game, especially as goals start to go in at White Hart Lane, West Bromwich and Stoke. By half-time, Man City are top, Spurs are third and Bolton are safe, but by the final whistle at Chelsea, everything has changed. Arsenal have nicked third spot, Bolton are relegated and City on their way to an unlikely defeat. But of course there are five minutes of ‘Fergie Time’ at Eastlands and the rest, as we know is utter Madchester madness. Chelsea follow their win with a lap of honour, and the press room looks like a bling-laden creche with all the wags and their kids waiting to join the players on the pitch. Roberto Di Matteo is hard work as we try to glean what the coming weeks might bring, Steve Kean is cocksure that his future is assured, and I more or less turn off the lights as the last one out of Stamford Bridge once again – with another season almost over. Just a week to go to discover the fate of Chelsea, Spurs, Drogba, Bale, Di Matteo and the rest – and then we head for another summer of probable discontent with England.