News Round Up

by Patrick O'Connor

IT maybe summer but two amusing football stories found their way into the national newspapers this week.

The Sun reported the amusing tale of England player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain playfully ticking off his father who had fallen asleep in front of the TV and missed his son scoring a wonder goal in the 2-2 draw against Brazil in Rio de Janeiro.

Only a dogged never-say-die attitude enabled Roy Hodgson's men to fight back and beat Sweden in their second Euro 2012 game. It certainly wasn't down to talent.

A selection of headlines from stories in the news. They use English in a way that you might think is intended to confuse but it's all perfectly clear to the native speaker.

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

YEARS ago the only stars in football were the players, now the managers are often in the limelight as much as the young men they coach.

Sometimes they are spot on in their comments, sometimes you think “shouldn't have said that matey”.

Football Diary

by Patrick O'Connor

FOOTBALLERS love taking the mickey and it seems as if the lads at Premier League newcomers Queens Park Rangers found an easy target.

Recent signing Shaun Wright-Phillips only stands 5ft 5ins tall and so when the players gathered at a hotel the night before their game at Wolves, they got hold of a baby's high-chair and placed a 'SWP' name card on it. Pictures of the stunt were then posted on Twitter by team-mate Joey Barton.