Football Diary
by Patrick O'Connor
IT'S the season of goodwill but in football that doesn't always mean that there are wise men about.
Take the Aston Villa and England striker Darren Bent for example. He was unavailable to play for his team in their home game against Liverpool because of injury.
So what did he do whilst his team-mates were battling it out against one of England's top sides – he went shopping!
Somehow Bent found it too trying to actually be at the stadium, he had other apparently more important things on his mind.
This story blew up because a fan posted a picture of the player out shopping whilst Villa were losing 2-0. The picture was put on Twitter forcing Bent to apologise later on his own Twitter account.
He said: “I hope to be back very soon. Watched the majority of the game on tv. Never knew popping out would cause an issue and for that I apologise.
“Nothing is more important to me than playing football, sadly injury meant I wasn't able to do that today. Gutted not to be involved......"
Christmas is of course a time for goodwill to all men – well maybe not if you are the directors of League One side Rochdale.
What shall we do for Christmas? I know, let's sack our manager.
Rochdale fired boss Steve Eyre and his assistant Frankie Bunn after only six months in the job.
Chairman Chris Dunphy told BBC Radio Manchester: "Unfortunately we're in a results-driven industry and four wins out of 21 is not acceptable.
"I do have nice things to say about Steve Eyre and Frankie Bunn, they're nice people and they worked very hard for the club but if we carry on this form throughout the season we'll be facing certain relegation.
“I feel that I've done everything I can as chairman to support the management team, and if we're not getting results the only thing I can do is change the management team."
But just before Christmas?
I see that Tottenham have been criticised by the Football Supporters Federation and human rights groups for giving stewards head-mounted cameras to monitor fans,
FSF chief Malcolm Clark said: "There's the potential for tensions if fans are filmed by stewards without, as they see it, a good reason.
"We have questions over when it will be used. At all games? Or just some games? And what instructions will be given to stewards about when to film? Will it be under particular circumstances or all circumstances?"
"If they want FSF support then this isn't the way to go about it."
Shami Chakrabarti, director of the human rights campaign group Liberty, said: "Football clubs are right to want to end the racist, homophobic and generally nasty behaviour that sometimes shames our national sport.
"Most fans are decent people who don't become monsters on swapping police and nurse's uniforms for team colours on an expensive night out. Is constant close surveillance the best way to create a family atmosphere? Does treating people like criminals really inspire courtesy and respect?"
Interestingly, this story came out on the same day as the Home Office revealed that arrests for football-related disorder in England and Wales are at a record low.
Hmm, food for thought hey Malcolm and Shami?
Clubs in the Scottish Premier League have been given the go-ahead to have safe standing areas in their stadiums.
Scotland is not bound by the law which banned standing areas in top-flight football in England after the Hillsborough disaster and this move will will be watched with interest.
Approval for terraces will still be needed from local council safety committees and police but there is still a sizeable portion of supporters in England who would love to see standing areas returned to their grounds.
Finally a word of praise for goalkeeper Colin Lee who, according to the Metro newspaper, is Britain's oldest player at the grand old age of 72.
Colin, who turns out for a side in Northampton, usually plays for at least 20 minutes every game and told the Metro: “I want to continue playing football as long as I can.”
He admitted that he was “creaking a bit” after playing a full 90 minutes recently.