Football Diary

by Patrick O'Connor

THE English political scene is currently awash with rows over bankers' bonuses and tax-avoidance schemes for public servants.

Money certainly does make the world go around but there seems to be tiny chink of common sense appearing in professional football.

Football Diary

by Patrick O'Connor

WE are in the era of instant communication but that’s not always a useful tool.

Graham Westley, who has just taken over as manager of League One Club Preston, has apparently not made the best of impressions with his new players.

Football Diary

by Patrick O'Connor

TWO of the Premier League's top foreign managers have been upsetting the natives!

Chelsea's Portuguese boss Andre Villas-Boas really put the cat amongst the pigeons by suggesting that top Premier League clubs be allowed to field reserve sides in the Championship.

Football Diary

by Patrick O'Connor

THE job of being a football referee is becoming more difficult every day and recent controversy over who should and should not be sent off for two-footed tackles is not making things any easier.

Indeed, it's almost becoming a witch hunt by television as pundits pour over, frame by frame, every contentious tackle.

Football Diary

by Patrick O'Connor

FOOTBALLERS can be really weird and do have some strange habits.

The Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, who is very much an old school type, has apparently lost his rag over his players following the latest Premier League fad of cutting up their socks!

Football Diary

by Patrick O'Connor

FOOTBALL can be a deliciously wicked game at times.

Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium was awash with celebration before they faced bottom club Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.