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 British have a reputation for being efficient and well-organised but don’t be fooled – we can cock it up as well as the rest of the world.

Take the idiots who run our football, for the past few years they’ve been doing their best to devalue the FA Cup, once the most prestigious knock-out tournament in the world.

Football Diary

by Patrick O’Connor

THE main football programme may be over in England but there is still plenty of going on, what with cup finals, promotion play-offs and, of course, the forthcoming World Cup.

It’s been a crazy few days if you are a Leicester City fan. They were promoted from League One at the end of the 2008-9 season and continued their fine form throughout last year, finishing in the Championship play-offs.