Last on MOTD: Roy Hodgson? Roy Hodgson?!

NOW here’s a curious thing. A month ago, Roy Hodgson was been touted as a contender for the England job. A less serious contender than Jose Mourinho, perhaps. But a more serious contender than Jeff Stelling.

Against the throw

AT least Bob Anderson, aka The Limestone Cowboy, spoke from some position of authority last week when he called for darts to be included in the Olympics. Anderson once had a chance to go to the Games with the Great Britain javelin team, but then broke his arm.

Last on MOTD: Mind the germs!

MAYBE it’s the weather. Maybe it’s the time of year. Maybe it’s the stresses and strains of a packed festive football programme. But there seem to be an awful lot of ill managers around at the moment.

Computers are rubbish

I’VE now seen two computer reconstructions of Reading’s winning goal against Sunderland: both taken from the same footage. The BBC’s animation showed that the ball did not cross the line, Sky’s showed that it did. Well, that’s brilliant.

Last on MOTD: Did you get dressed in the dark?

DOES David Sullivan dress like that all the time? There was the Birmingham owner, sitting in the directors’ box at the Reebok Stadium in a ushanka hat and a Russian-style overcoat, looking for all the world as if he was off to Red Square for Christmas.

On the borderline

IT really does feel like the edge of the earth at Chester’s Deva Stadium. From the press box, looking beyond the stand opposite, all I could see were miles and miles of fields and electricity pylons. Mind you, the last thing I was thinking about was what I could see.

First on MOTD: I can tell you right now who is going to replace John Motson

TIME for a switch of emphasis. (Don’t worry; the usual Last on MOTD nonsense will follow later on. After Saturday’s Match of the Day, in fact.) Christmas is a time for unwanted and disappointing presents from people who don’t really know what stuff you like. So on that basis, I thought I’d chip in with my gift to you all.

Bring yourselves home

FIVE years ago, I went for a job interview as a sports writer on a well-respected regional daily newspaper. The editor, a fast-talking, fast-thinking, ebullient middle-aged chap, fired a series of questions at me about cricket, as England were in the process of tumbling to a particularly comprehensive Ashes defeat Down Under.

Sven on the spot: Epilogue

WELL, after yesterday’s blog entry about Sven-Goran Eriksson and cup quarter-finals, I really should have seen this one coming, shouldn’t I?

Sven on the spot

SVEN-GORAN Eriksson. Cup quarter-final. The question had to be asked. Sven, have your team practised penalties?