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.

Sports Diary
by Patrick O’Connor

‘WHO are ya?’ is a popular football mantra, usually followed by ‘We are super…’, depending on which particular team you support.

But the 2012 Olympics has thrown up a particular challenge for those who like to chant.

THE mouth-watering attraction of the Real Madrid versus Barcelona Champions League semi-final first leg will ensure that the normal parochial English football fans will be glued to their television screens this week.

For some, it will be an even greater attraction than Manchester United’s game at Schalke.

IF you ever find that following your favourite football team becomes too depressing or even boring, then you could try and go ‘virtual’.  According to a report in The Sun Newspaper, the Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott try to get one over on Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney after Rooney’s spectacular goal won the Manchester derby.

A good friend of mine is currently awaiting news of whether he will lose his job. He works for a local authority which employs over 7,000 people and is looking to axe 600 by the end of March.  That scenario is being acted out in both public and private organisations throughout the country as the financial crisis sweeping the UK tightens its grip.

THERE was much  hype surrounding the draw for the last 16 stage of the Champions League with pundits wetting themselves with excitement at the prospect of Arsenal re-staging their epic clashes against Barcelona last season.

True, both matches were real treats, a feast for football purists and it does seem that Arsenal face the toughest challenge of all the English teams still left in the competition.