Mansfield Town introduce children to drug

Mansfield Town allowed fans to pay what they liked to watch the team play Gateshead yesterday.

The decision was deemed a success with an attendance more than double what they have averaged this season, even forcing a ten-minute kick-off delay.

But football matches are not consumer goods, they are not a Radiohead album.

Football matches are an addiction, they are a drug.

Terry to pay price for night away from wife

THIS weekend it was revealed that a footballer had an extramarital affair with a lingerie model.

This is as big a news story as Roger Federer finally ending Switzerland’s six-month long wait for a Grand Slam tennis title.

But the main outrage of John Terry’s tabloid chastising is not that he did the dirty on his wife, but that he did the dirty on his mate.

Coyle betrays those who loved him

BURNLEY came to the Reebok Stadium on Tuesday night to take on Bolton and their former manager Owen Coyle.

Rarely has such vitriol greeted an ex-manager as that which was aimed at Coyle by the Burnley fans.

And most of it was understandable.

Giantkillers ruining the magic for everyone

PRESTON North End and Chelsea kicked off the FA Cup fourth round with their Saturday lunchtime clash at Deepdale televised on ITV.

Dennis Wise, essentially representing Chelsea, and Billy Davies, representing Preston, joined Matt Smith in the television studio.

The phrase “magic of the cup” was on the tip of all three’s lips, the unspoken monkey in the room, except that it was frequently spoken.

I personally want Chelsea to beat Preston, just as I would like Tottenham Hotspur to beat Leeds United, Arsenal to beat Stoke City and Manchester City to beat Scunthorpe United in the other televised games.

All but Colly wobbled

HAVING fought so hard to escape with draws at Centurion and Cape Town, it was disappointing to see England collapse so abjectly at Johannasberg.

But that should not detract from what has been a relatively successful tour for England.

4 out of 10 on the volume, 0 out of 10 on the outcome

THE Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) was introduced into cricket in November for the New Zealand v Pakistan series.

Its intention was to remove the truly awful umpiring decisions from the game, thus making it fairer all round.

However it did not factor in Daryl Harper’s volume button.

Note to self: avoid interviewing Robbie Savage

DERBY County lost 4-1 at home on Saturday against Championship minnows Scunthorpe United.

A local journalist asked club captain Robbie Savage why this was the case, especially as it came only one league game after a draw at table-toppers Newcastle United.

This was his answer.

Portsmouth scat solo

LAST month jazz musician Anita Wardell was asked by Radio 5 Live presenter Danny Baker to put Portsmouth footballers into a scat solo.

Here are the results.

Swann spins England to solid decency

SOMEHOW, somewhere England have become very good at cricket.

An innings victory over South Africa, the team ranked number two in the world, is a serious achievement.

Stuart Broad, who looks and increasingly bowls like the product of a successful Aryan experiment, added the scalp of Mark Boucher to his three day-four wickets, which he claimed without the batsmen even attempting to hit the ball.

But it was Graeme Swann, chief spinner, joker and tweeter of the England team, who took the plaudits.

Sporting Chameleon end-of-year awards 2009

WHEN December rolls around many newspapers, magazines, television shows, etc produce a list of who sank or swam in that year.

The Sporting Chameleon, far from producing any original content, will do the same.