WITH the football season nearing its conclusion (apart, of course from the European Championships) thoughts are already turning towards the big sporting occasion of the summer, the 2012 London Olympics. And one of England's top ex-players has put the cat among the pigeons by suggesting that Olympic football should be played by amateur footballers, not professionals.
YOU have to hand it to the suits at the Football Association, they really know how to mess the game up. The latest wheeze from these mindless morons is to arrange for England's most prestigious event, the FA Cup Final, to be moved from its traditional 3pm kick-off spot to 5.15pm.
Now this year's final will be between Chelsea (that's in London you know) and Liverpool (that's in the far north west).
Football Diary
by Patrick O'Connor
IT was probably of little consolation to Roberto Martinez, the manager of Wigan Athletic, when referees chief Mike Riley apologised for the appalling mistakes made by officials during their 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.
Both Chelsea goals were clearly offside and at the time Martinez branded the decisions as “disgusting.”
Football Diary
by Patrick O'Connor
COULD football be set to get its first female manager?
The subject cropped up following a BBC TV documentary entitled Sexism In Football which looked at the role of women in the game.
Football Diary
by Patrick O'Connor
THE family of the Bolton player Fabrice Muamba have posted a picture of him on Twitter from his hospital room – a move which has provided comfort for the Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov who has been diagnosed with acute leukaemia.
Speaking before Saturday's home game against Chelsea, Petrov said that he had taken strength from Muamba's recent battle with ill-health after the player suffered a cardiac arrest during the game at Tottenham.
Football Diary
by Patrick O'Connor
THE collapse of Fabrice Muamba on the pitch at Tottenham last week has captured plenty of headlines, both on the front and back pages of newspapers.
There has also been an enormous amount of goodwill generated towards the Bolton player from supporters of all colours.