Now I Believe In Magic

Now I believe in magic.

The Foxes trotted off to Stamford Bridge tonight. In truth we probably all expected a bit of a pasting.

All of a sudden, after 6 mins we go ahead.

Chelski get 2 back

We equalize

We go ahead. Oh my god.

They equalise within minutes of the end.

I'm holding my breath. I'm blue in the face.

Nooooooooooo! They score a 4th with seconds to go. We have lost. 4 -3

But we were magnificent.


Now if I had posted that before the match you would have told me not to be so stupid wouldn't you?

That is some rabbit to pull out of the hat!

No One Hit Wonder

My lover is a Reading fan. Fortunately I am a kind girl and I love him despite this.

Funny club in lots of ways Reading. They have not really featured in the news particularly since I established my interest in football (which admittedly was only in March this year). Compared to many of the other Premier League clubs they are minnows. Their promotion in 2006 was the first time the club had ever been in the top division since they were established in 1871.

What is more, they did it is style. They secured promotion earlier in the season than any other post-war team and had the highest tally attained in any of the 4 top divisions - ever! Ironically it was a win against Leicester that earned them that distinction.

Steve Coppell, their manager, the man who led them to these dizzy heights of success, appears to be a gentle, modest man. An article in The Observer earlier in the year suggested that in the same way that dogs resemble their owners, football teams resemble their managers. It goes on to describe The Royals as presenting an image of fair-minded, unpretentious decency.

Any media coverage I have heard relating to them seems to mirror this. For example, teams get described as "playing against" Reading rather than commentators talking about X versus Reading.

They had a cracking first season in the Premiership last season but have had a number of defeats this year. Some suggest this is evidence of a phenomenon referred to as "second season syndrome". This refers to a pattern whereby clubs who get promoted and do well in their first season in the Premiership, struggle in the second.

Steve Coppell has previously been scathing about there being such a thing, but now accepts that Reading are suffering the effects.

In an interview on Talk Sport today with Hawksbee and Jacobs, the Reading goalkeeper, Marcus Hahnemann, said that last season they had the advantage of being an unknown quantity to most of the other Premiership sides and therefore they had the element of surprise. Other teams are much more prepared this year and The Royals are paying the price.

Despite this dip in form, however, they are currently 12th in the table and well clear of the relegation zone. I suspect we might not see the impressive 8th place finish of last year (narrowly missing out on a place in Europe) , but my guess is they will probably achieve a respectable overall performance.

I hope my lover is able to deliver to a similar standard.

Blessed By La Mano De Dios

Diego Maradona is 47 today.

An interesting footballing character. Some would say the best footballer of all time.

So much so that in 2002 some of his fans created a church in his name. For these 'disciples', whilst Jesus is the "God of Reason" Maradona is the "God of the Heart".

They count time from when he was born - 30th October 1960. Which makes this AD47 (presumably Anno Diego).

To celebrate today's occasion, two couples underwent symbolic marriages in the presence of a football. The "priest" blessed the unions with the words, "Let no man separate what the God of football has united'.

The man, or should one say deity, himself married in 1989 in a flashy affair, which was somewhat blighted by a more earthy response to one photographer in the form of a punch on the nose.

His "god-like" qualities to his fans are in his renowned footballing skills. For others this reputation has more to do with his "hand of god" goal scored in the quarter final of the 1986 World Cup. The "allegation" is that the goal was scored by a "handball" foul. Maradona himself originally denied that his hand touched the ball, explaining that it was the "hand of god" that put the ball in the net. He has since accepted that it was his hand that scored the goal, but justified it as a response to the Falklands conflict. He said "Whoever robs a thief gets a 100-year pardon."

I guess it's all a question of belief.

Life Or Fiction?

Sometimes life is stranger than fiction.

Dennis Wise is now being hailed as a saviour. Apparently taking your team from the Championship into Division 1 and being the manager of a club who can't pay their players for weeks is a good thing.

Even more bizarrely, a referee, Danny McDermid, who used abusive and/or insulting words to Wise last month is in trouble. Since when has it been a crime to say what everyone else is thinking?

On the BBC website it states of Saturday's match at The Walkers "Barnsley continued to play the more attractive football". What match was that reporter at?

What's more, the conclusion in that commentary is that The Foxes won because they had no manager?

No wonder I'm confused.

I Got The Feeling

I just need to share with you. My "Mike Newell feeling" is getting stronger.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

All Change

Despite a 1 -1 draw against Arsenal today, Rafa Benitez continues to be criticised for his rotation policy.

Nowadays of course with such busy playing schedules it would be unrealistic to think that a team would remain almost the same week in week out. Injuries force changes for one thing. But Liverpool have not started a match with the same line up in any two games this season. Even when star players like Gerrard and Lampard are fit, available and playing well, he rests them.

Benitez argues that with seasons so long and full he wants to keep his whole squad as injury free as possible. If he is right, as the season progresses and other teams start to struggle when they lose their best players he will still have good teams to put out and Liverpool will really come into their own. He also says if the squad is good enough it allows him to play the best team to beat a particular team depending on their strengths, style of play etc.

It is a risky strategy though. Despite not losing a game all season, Liverpool are already 6 points behind the leaders Arsenal and struggling to qualify in the Champions league following their 0 - 1 defeat at home earlier this month by Marseilles.

The other criticism levelled at such a mechanistic approach to rotation is that it is demotivating for players. The incentive of keeping a place in the team for the next match if you play well disappears.

I guess we will have to wait until the end of the season to see if his approach is justified. In the meantime his "Everything Must Change" philosophy will continue.

Still, whatever criticism Liverpool fans and others may lay against their manager at least they have got one. Which is more than can be said for us.

The Punditry Of Pies And Parkas

Clearly my reputation as an emerging football pundit has reached further than I realised. When I arrived at The Walkers today there was Sky Sports waiting to interview me!

Seriously they did! And it was screened, because I had a bemused phonecall from my stepson later in the afternoon who had just seen it.

I was asked about my views on Megson and what we might want in a new manager etc. And there was me in my LCFC shirt, new LCFC scarf, dodgy parka and hair all over the place.

Just goes to show a girl can never be sure when stardom will strike and should be prepared at all times. If I had known I was going to be on TV I might at least have tried to show a bit of cleavage.....

Anyway back to the match.

I have to say that whilst you might argue I am hardly an expert (this is only my third live match), today was the best I have seen the Foxes play. They weren't perfect by any means and Barnsley were not the most challenging side. Nevertheless, there were times when play got exciting enough for me to leap to my feet and shout/cheer/applaud. Being in the Kop meant I had a great view of the two goals too (see picture above of Kisnorbo's goal)

To add to it my lover and I shared the headphones for his little radio and listened to the commentary on Radio Leicester. For a girl new to the game like me it was a really useful way to learn as I went along, whilst still getting the atmosphere of being at a live match.

Having taken a quick look at Talking Balls my fairly positive views seems to be at odds with the fans posting there. I stand by them though. I have had a great day out. And I am famous!

PS: My first pie experience proved a disappointment - as you can see from the picture

It Doesn't Get Better Than That

My day tomorrow:

7.30 Wake up and cuddle up to my lover
8.00 Get up and shower
8.15 Eat toast
8.25 Put on my LCFC shirt and other clothes
8.30 Do other stuff getting ready, tidying up etc.
9.00 Set off up the Fosse Way
10.30 Stop somewhere for a cooked breakfast (veggie of course)
1.00 Arrive at The Walkers and buy a ticket
1.20 Eat chips and have a drink
1.40 Buy an LCFC scarf
2.00 Go into The Kop at The Walkers
3.00 Sing and shout and swear a lot
3.50 Eat a pie
5.00 Feel miserable or celebrate
5.30 Set off for home, discussing the match with my lover
8.00 Eat tea
8.45 Post on this blog about the match
9.30 Mind your own business

Now it doesn't get better than that does it!

Fun And Games

I'm going to my first match at The Walkers this Saturday.

How fantastic is that?

I wonder if we will know by then who our new manager is? Front runner is Dowie apparently.

It's been said that LCFC give a whole new meaning to the term "manager of the week" - on the basis that we seem to have a different one with about that regularity. Another Fox-loving Blogger, Cunning Fox (hi mate!), being much cleverer than me and able to count with his finger AND toes, has calculated that our managers are staying for an average of 3.67 games and that at this rate we will have had 12.5 managers by the end of the season.

Presumably then, over time the manager 'squad' will be bigger than that of the players.

Maybe Mandaric should step back and take this opportunity to adopt a whole different approach. I mean this whole ridiculous thing of circulating managers around the clubs like some sort of "pass the parcel" or "musical chairs" game.

Why not go for something new Mandy? Why not be the first Chairman to appoint a woman?

It's just a thought.

Early Doors

He's gone.

Megson has left LCFC and gone off to pastures new. Probably Bolton, although this has yet to be confirmed.

I have a message for him.

Gary Megson you are a dirty rat. You came to Leicester City after months of being unemployed. Mandaric backed you. He gave you a break. And you repaid him with this. You were not even Bolton's first choice. They really wanted Souness. Well we look forward to seeing you with your new team in the Championship next year, when you have been relegated. Goodbye.

There - got that off my chest.

So then - who will it be?

I feel the eyes of many Foxes upon me. I have delivered once. Can I do it again?

I've heard a few names around - Coleman, Jewell, Keegan, Newell, Grayson, Collins. Penney and Ince. I've also heard the suggestion from one of my more mysterious sources that Brendon Rogers, the Chelsea assistant could be a candidate.

It's still 'early doors' though.............................

................which is an interesting phrase . Coined by the Ron Atkinson, disgraced football pundit, meaning early on in a game or competition.

My powers are not sufficiently strong to give you a confident prediction yet but if I had to pick a name from the list above my strongest feeling at this time is Newell. If it does turn out to be him of course I will need to ensure he reads this blog on a regular basis. Might help him develop a bit more respect for women's involvement in football.

Like I say though, early doors and as I woman I completely reserve the right to change my mind.

As often as I want.

Stop! Thief!

They're trying to steal Gary Megson off us!

Bolton that is.

What a cheek! I mean it is hardly our problem if they can't appoint a decent manager in the first place. Or if their performance in the Premiership is poor. Why should we suffer?

Of course it is not a done deal yet. But it has emerged today that Megson has not yet signed a contract with LCFC. So it seems that Mandaric's words earlier this week about loyalty, trust and integrity were more rhetoric than a display of power. He has no proper hold on the recently appointed manager.

The fans on Talking Balls are already starting to speculate about who would replace him. I've heard there might be a Premiership manager looking for a job shortly..............

I'm not going to make any predictions at this stage. Regular readers of this blog, however, will know that I have special powers in this area.

Stay tuned would be my advice.

The Modern Girls Guide To Curing Disappointment

It's been a disappointing week all round for English sports fans. First there was the defeat of the English football team in Moscow on Wednesday. Our chances of now qualifying for the European Championship next summer are now slim.

Then there was yesterday's defeat in the final of the Rugby World cup in Paris. A brave performance given where the English team had come from but not enough (and that try was definitely out even though it pains me to say it).

And today poor old Lewis Hamilton loses out on becoming the first ever Formula 1 driver to become world champion in their rookie year.

Disappointment too for Foxes fans. The team only managed a 0 - 0 draw against Scunthorpe yesterday. The official club report emphasises the positives of course, such as getting a point and not having conceded a goal for nearly 500 hours of play time. The fans who watched the match though are far less impressed. They say the football was dull, and whilst our defense has clearly improved since last season, the goals are not really coming.

So how does one keep the faith? How do real fans stand by their teams through thick and thin, the ups and downs?

Dealing with disappointment is clearly an important skill. One I need to acquire.

So I have been (predictably probably for my regular readers) doing some research.

It seems there are a number of approaches.

Firstly there is the "believe in an inspirational quote" tactic, such as this one by Martin Luther King Jnr:

" We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope"

Then there is the step-by-step tutorial approach.

Some advocate the "floating in mindfulness" technique.

I have to confess that none of these seem particularly exciting to me.

I guess I will just have to resort to that good old girlie favourite.

Dear Webmaster.............

I sent a very cross email to the official LCFC website today.

It is rare for me to be galvanised into actually making a complaint. I largely have a 'live and let live' attitude. Nor do I consider myself to be a prude, or particularly politically correct.

I was, however, completely shocked and indeed incensed by one section of the website. It is ostensibly for fans to post jokes and contains a variety, some of which are reasonably funny.

What offended me were that a number were about sex offences against children.

Yes, that is what I said. Astonishing!

I simply can't get my head around how the topic can ever be remotely funny. Not only that, but the fact that they appear on the official website means, in my view, that there is a club endorsement, albeit tacit.

There are also jokes about domestic violence. I mean what is the matter with these people?

The irony of course is that we live in a society where people who commit sexual crimes against children are reviled. The "string 'em up and castrate them" brigade often undermine genuine attempts by individuals to change and refrain from committing further offences.

How then does this square with telling jokes of this nature?

I'll be interested to see what sort of response I get to my complaint.

Laugh - I Nearly Chuckled!

Scunthorpe Saturday then.

Away.

I can't go myself unfortunately but I've been doing a bit of research to see what delights our loyal travelling fans can expect.

If they need somewhere to stay, this is the sort of thing they can look forward to it would seem. Well known for its old fossils, this Lincolnshire town can be a bit blowy sometimes. Renowned as a haven for Chavs too.

And then of course there is "The Scunthorpe Problem". Apparently this refers to the frequent blocking of the name by obscenity filters due to the fact that part of the name spells a rude word (I know, I'm still working it out too).

Football-wise the town has spawned Kevin Keegan and Ray Clemence. But of course the really famous celebrity sons are those mirth-making masters of comedy, The Chuckle Brothers.

Hopefully they won't be on first aid duty on Saturday though.

It Takes All Sorts

"Russia defeat mystifies McLaren" is the headline on the BBC website describing the England manager's reaction to tonight's 2 -1 defeat at the hands (or should I say feet) of Russia.

Now call me old fashioned. Call me naive even. But if the England manager doesn't know what went wrong .... how are the rest of us supposed to?

Apparently McLaren is a "scientific manager". Such managers, it seems, favour techniques such as snowboarding lessons, primal scream therapy, and the use of ice baths for the players after a match.

There are clearly various "types" of football manager.

Firstly there are "The Thinkers". They include the likes of Arsene Wenger, Sam Allardyce and Rafa Benitez.

Other types are "The Motivators" (a la Bryan Robson, Pearce and O'Neill), "The Hardmen" (like Souness, Hughes and Sanchez)," The Organisers" (including Curbishley, Moyes and Yol). And last, but not least, "The Assassins" (Mourinho and Ferguson).

Oh and of course there is one more group. A group which seems disproportionately large (although not, apparently, statistically significant) as a percentage of football managers, comprising the likes of Moyes, Strachen, McLaren, and our very own Megson.

"The Gingers".

Although even the ginger people seem to be defecting to the world of rugby at the moment.

Ginger Mourinho

The Blue Army is gearing up.

On 31st October we play Chelsea in the Football League Cup. 6,500 tickets have been sold to LCFC fans, with over 2000 going on the 39 official coaches.

And in an amazing coincidence, Gary Megson has recently been dubbed Ginger Mourinho by Foxes fans. Not that I am convinced the Chelsea fans will be fooled of course. I mean our fox-coloured version could not in all honesty be mistaken for a twin, tragically separated at birth from The Special One.

I do hope, though, that Megson has built a better relationship with Milan than poor Jose and Abramovich.

Judas

Forgive me girls for I have sinned.

I have been unfaithful to the cause.

It's shocking to confess - but last night I watched a rugby match!!

I know - my shame is burning!

But........................

It was England v France. And it was enthralling.

With my lover at my side and surrounded by a load of rugby fans, all with varying degrees of burliness, I watched in on a big screen in a pub.

Admittedly the experience wasn't perfect. For a start the colour on the screen was a bit dodgy, with all the white players looking as if they had an orange sun tan.

Even so, I was entranced by the combination of emotion, energy, courage, concentration, skill and sheer muscle power. All those Lycra clad pecs and pert nipples. All those close up shots of thighs being rubbed.

The evening resulted in a strong, if very uncharacteristic, feeling of pride when England won.

So have I strayed from the path? Have I succumbed to temptation and begun to love another?

Of course not!

There is no doubt about it. This is exciting.

But this is beautiful.

I'm a girl. I like beautiful things.

After all I am one.

Movin' And Groovin'

Ever heard of freestyle football? It's sort of circus tricks with a football.

And of course, being an offshoot of football its not simply a matter of learning a few tricks. There are a whole set of disciplines around it:

• Lowerbody/Air Moves - The ball is kept aloft using mainly the feet and legs.
• Upperbody - Most tricks are done with the head , chest and shoulders.
• Sitting - All tricks are executed while sitting on the floor with your legs in the air, and the inability to move after the ball greatly increases the difficulty of any trick performed.
• Groundmoves - These are normal football moves , but then executed without an opponent. Skillful players can make the performance of groundmoves seem like a choreographed dance.

It's a more sophisticated form of "keepie uppie", an art form we all know was brought to the planet by cyber men.

Seems to me something like this would provide much better half time entertainment than what is currently rolled out at football matches. For example, when I went to watch the Foxes play at Barnsley last season we spent about 20 minutes watching people trying to kick a ball at a pretend shed. I mean.............duh! ...... what is that about?

Bit of urban freestyling instead would be pretty groovy I reckon.

The Combover Hits 70

I read and hear a lot about people thinking English football is going to rack and ruin.

Too much money in the sport. Too many foreign players in English teams, resulting in home-bred players not being developed and given opportunities. Too much commercialism. A take over by the chattering classes.

So what was it like then? What are they hankering after?

Well I think it is this (points to picture)

Not this of course.

But the man. Bobby Charlton. Or rather Sir Bobby Charlton as he now is.

Birthday boy today. 70 years old.

So what was so great about him? The 106 caps for England? The 249 goals as a professional footballer, 49 0f them international? His grace, speed, athleticism and thunderbolt shot?

Well according to this commentator,:

"Charlton stood for something that the world admired. He was a gentleman, the ultimate in old-fashioned sporting heroes. He was never in trouble, never argued with referees, showed honesty and respect to opponents. It made him a perfect role model, the essence of the Corinthian ideal. His status as the greatest ambassador in the history of British sport rested unequivocally on his unrivaled sense of fair play."

Question is, would he work today? Could he be that person who can live up to their superstar status? Would he understand what people want and be able to give it to them?

With that hair do? ....................probably not.

The Magic Roundabout

Martin "Maddog" Allen. Jose "The Coat" Mourinho. Peter "Our Supporters Are A Disgrace" Grant. John "I love Bruce Springstein" Gregory. Peter "I Screwed Up At Leicester" Taylor.

All football managers.

All sacked this season.

And all those managers who have been waiting in the wings, like Warnock, Roeder and Megson, jump back on the merry-go-round to take their place.

I'm all for recycling but surely there is a limit. And how do you get in on it in the first place? Do you have to wait until someone dies?

Oh well, no good worrying.

What's that Zebedee? Oh yes, time for bed.

Our Furry Friends

Filbert Fox is, apparently, the Leicester City Football Club mascot. Here he is in the picture.

Say hello to Filbert girls.

"Hello Filbert!"

I'd like to tell you exactly what the point of a mascot is. Only I'm not entirely sure myself.

Apparently they were originally introduced to keep up the interests of children. Personally I thought the football was supposed to be the entertainment but then what would I know.

It's not an easy life being a mascot of course. Those costumes are heavy you know. Up to 3 stone some of them.

And it can be dangerous too. Preston North End’s Deepdale Duck was dragged off of the pitch once by his wings and Wolfie from Wolverhampton Wanderers lost his cool when Bristol City’s Three Little Pigs showed up.

As with anything though there are some who make a great success of it. Like Hartlepool United’s H’Angus the Monkey, the all-singing, all-dancing mascot of the Yorkshire club, who went on to become town mayor in 2002.

Incidentally H'Angus got his name from Hartlepool’s residents who were said to have hanged a monkey during the Napoleonic Wars because they thought it was a French spy.

Anyway time for bed girls.

"Good night Filbert. See you again soon!"

Vigilance and Vengence

I've been having a little look at the league tables.

Last week we were only just above the relegation zone in 21st place but after Saturday's performance we are at 18th. It's not earth shattering but in fact our record is not too bad. Of all the games we have played this season, including the League Cup, we have only lost 2. 5 have been draws and the other 5 wins. Our goal difference is 2, which is respectable.

Of course it is not simply a case of how well your team does. It is true to say (even if stating the bleedin' obvious) that the fortunes of a team are also dependant upon how others perform. So although we might bemoan our fate at having to play strong teams like Watford and Charlton, thank goodness for the QPRs, Norwich's and Sheffield Wednesdays.

The moral of the story then is that as a fan you have to watch what other teams are up to as well as your own. Be vigilant. Monitor the enemy. Watch the devil at your back.

Speaking of which, you may be wondering how Leeds are doing. 12th in Division 1.

No doubt you are as sorry for them as I am.

Great Expectations

Fair play to those Foxes!

Against my expectations they beat Sheffield Wednesday away yesterday 0 -2.

Interesting thing expectations. In my experience, one of the biggest reason why people fail is because expectations are unmet. Whether your own or those of other people.

Spurs' Martin Jol is certainly struggling to meet the ones placed upon him at the moment. From the various accounts, the key problem which led to the conflict between Mourinho and Abramovich was that each had such different expectations around how things should be done by the other.

What seems to happen when our expectations are thwarted is that they take on a disproportionate significance. So we lose sight of the positives and can only see failure.

Alexander Pope once said:
"Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed''

A few days ago I would probably have thought this a useful thought to apply to my fanship of The Foxes. Of course, now my expectations have been exceeded by yesterday's score, I am delighted.

Like Edward De Bono says:
"Unhappiness is best defined as the difference between our talents and our expectations."

And we have expectations about most things, often without even realising.

Take for example my experience of a few minutes ago.

As I started preparing to write this post, undertaking painstaking, detailed research, leaving no stone unturned to ensure my readers get the best possible product, I decided to Google the word "expectations"

I was unaware of any expectations around what I might find.

But I must have had. Otherwise why would I have been surprised when I looked at the first site to come up.

"That's not what I expected!" I thought.

Left Is Best

I'm left handed. And proud of it.

Unfortunately, being left handed has not always been regarded as a good thing. Indeed, right handers have a history of persecuting us poor lefties.

There have been many famous left handed people through the ages. Leonardo Da Vinci, Ghandi, Aristotle, Beethoven and even, according to this article, Jesus Christ.

We Lefties (who are controlled by the right hemisphere of our brains) are reputedly good at music, art, creativity, perception, spatial awareness and, (not surprisingly if you have met me), genius. We are also supposed to be able to think more quickly, and this is deemed to be particularly valuable in sport, including football.

Predictably, then, there have been a number of famous football players who favour their left side. Diego Maradonna is deemed by some to be the best left sided footballer ever.

This commentator thinks the best footballers are those who can play with both feet and that not enough attention is paid to practising with the weaker limb.

Not sure of the 'handedness' of any of The Foxes players but I would settle for one effective foot on each if it meant they beat Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow. Given their disappointing 0 - 0 draw against Wolves earlier in the week, though, I am not holding my breath. If I did I would probably risk asphyxiation.

PS: I have solved my internet problem. Turned out to be interference from my lover's car alarm! So I've made him park down the road - and told him I will tolerate no more interference.

A Fine Performance

It's not the most alluring look. Especially for someone who is used to wearing designer sunglasses. My guess is John Terry's pulling power will be somewhat limited when he is wearing it.

Still, he is being hailed by some as a brave hero for playing with a broken cheekbone. Indeed some would say he bears a resemblance to a super hero.

Whilst Terry is playing at being the Phantom of the Football Pitch, there are others performing their own acts. The art of balancing a ball on your nose, perfected by our water loving friends, the seals, is being used very successfully by a young Brazilian player, Kerlon Moura Souza. Much to the frustration of his opponents as you can imagine.

Rumour has it Manchester United are interested in him. Sounds a bit fishy to me.

Licensed To Thrill

Steven Gerrard has had a difficult few days. Not for any football related reason, but because he ran into a child with his car.

From the reports I have heard the child is in hospital but will be OK. Gerrard has apparently visited today and took a signed football shirt and a pair of Wayne Rooney's boots. The boy is a Manchester United fan.

Gerrard was driving a Bentley, despite being partial to the odd Austin Martin. Like James Bond.

Given his love of cars, maybe he should have a go at this.

Brain Or Brawn?

Funny things football players.

Well they are according to this man.

After I heard him, I thought I should go off and find out more. For instance, he suggests that football players are renowned for saying daft things.

Here are some of the wise words I have found:

Sharp as a knife.................
Reporter to Newcastle's Shola Ameobi: 'Do you have a nickname?'
Ameobi: 'No, not really'
Reporter: 'So what does Bobby Robson call you?'
Ameobi: 'Carl Cort.'
The nocturnal type........................
If you don't believe you can win, there is no point in getting out of bed at the end of the day.' - Neville Southall (ex-Everton)

From one who understands his immortality..................
'I've never wanted to leave. I'm here for the rest of my life, and hopefully after that as well.' - Alan Shearer (Newcastle)
To one who knows about geography..........
I'd like to play for an Italian club, like Barcelona.' - Mark Draper

And of course the best demonstration of mental arithmetic from Leeds United .................
'I would not be bothered if we lost every game long as we won the league.' - Mark Viduka (Leeds)

I'll leave it up to you to decide if Mr Evans was right.