How to be England goalkeeper

As things stand, and if I was 30 years younger, I would now be England’s outright number one, just as City fans always claimed I was and I believed myself to be.

Former Manchester City hero Joe Corrigan, in his autobiography published last year, wasn’t exactly glowing about the state of English goalkeeping.

Not The Football League Show!

NO Match of the Day this weekend for Gary, Alan, Lawro and the other Alan to make mildly sarcastic comments during (and for me to make mildly sarcastic comments about). But we’ve still got a chance to catch up with the latest developments below the top flight in The Football League Show.

Last on MOTD: Don’t forget your poppy, Ryan

IS it poppy power or poppy fascism? Depends whether you read the Daily Mail or the Guardian, I guess. No one ever got this worked up over Comic Relief’s red noses, though.

That football ground in Newcastle

A FEW years ago, Darlington signed a naming rights deal for their ground with a local commercial radio station. As a result, their home became known as The 96.6 TFM Arena. Not surprisingly, BBC Radio Cleveland didn’t bother with the sponsor’s namecheck.

Igor Akinfeev’s Big Night Out

I HAVE a friend who is a Manchester United fan. Whenever he watches a City game on TV these days, he invariably finds himself asking: “Why didn’t we sign Shay Given?”

Last on MOTD: Well bugger me, it’s Hallowe’en

AT the Championship match I was covering for a newspaper yesterday afternoon, I was in a dilemma. (Ah yes, good cars those dilemmas, as Ted Chippington used to say – and indeed still does.) Should I try to crowbar in a Hallowe’en reference or not?

A kick up the Noughties

TWO months from tonight, we’ll all be getting ready to welcome a new decade. Already, the reviews of the Noughties are starting to seep out (in summary: Bush, Blair, Cowell, Leona, Boris, David Brent, Am I Bovvered?, Peep Show, John and Edward, Obama, Coldplay – possibly in that order). For Doncaster Rovers and Blackpool, the Noughties have turned out very nice indeed.

Last on MOTD: Who’s the Twit?

BEFORE this weekend, the most contentious post on Hull City striker Jozy Altidore’s Twitter feed was his claim that Olly Murs would win X Factor. (I mean, come on Jozy, surely Stacey’s going to win.)

Visibly impressive in League Two

MANY years ago, Radio Five Live hosted a sports debate show from the Moss Rose. Before the programme, each of the guests were asked to say something into the microphone to check for sound levels – and Jimmy Armfield came out with: “Why is Macclesfield the hardest ground in the Football League to find?”

The curious case of Daniel Sturridge

DANIEL Sturridge will have been glad of his substitute’s cameo as Chelsea thrashed Atletico Madrid last night. Not only did he get his first experience of Champions League football, he also saw his appearance time for the season rocket from six minutes to 18.