Football Diary

by Patrick O'Connor

LOVE the idea being suggested by a part-time professional league which operates in the north of England.

The Northern League, said to be one the world's oldest professional leagues, is set to introduce “secret shoppers” to spot officials and players who swear during games.

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

I've just had the opportunity to catch via YouTube on the offence which got Wayne Rooney sent off in the Euro 2012 Championship qualifier against Montenegro in October.

So it with some bemusement that I read that the England forward has got a three match ban reduce to two which means he will now be available for England's third group D game against Ukraine in the finals next summer.

IT could be described as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

I’m referring of course to the Champions League semi-final first leg between those two Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

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.

THE fixture list was extremely kind to Sky TV on Sunday, providing their football subscribers with three local Derbies in one day.

And the viewing public were not disappointed. Liverpool and Everton served up a cracking 2-2 draw, Sunderland and Newcastle battled it out for a 1-1 stalemate and in the Midlands, Birmingham and Aston Villa also tied 1-1.