Brought To Brooking
‘IF the Football Association is AT WAR, as the Mirrors back page claims, you can bet theyll be shuffling into battle armed with non-firing guns and boots that melt in the heat.
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| Brooking will even be offered his own secretary |
And things are getting hotter at the FAs Soho Square headquarters, as the paper reports that several board members are threatening to give a vote of no-confidence in FA chairman Geoff Thompson.
The top man might go – as too may Sven Goran Eriksson who, the Express says, spent last night discussing a secret settlement to persuade him leave the job.
The paper says the Swede knows he no longer has the backing of the FA board and will be offered a deal to go quietly.
Given his robotic demeanour and history of affairs and cheating, moving with stealth is the one thing Sven can be relied upon to do well.
And distracting eyes from his departure will be Sir Trevor Brooking, the former West Ham and England striker who is seen by the Mail as a knight in shining armour or a blue woollen suit, as is the case.
News is that Sir Trevor will step into Svens Cuban heel just as soon as the FA can rid itself of the troublesome, highly-paid Swede.
Meanwhile, another football figure who looks like hes on his way at last is Arsenals captain Patrick Vieira. Or maybe not.
The Sun says that the champions have received an £18m bid for the 28-year-old midfielder from Real Madrid.
This falls well short of the £25m and £30m figures being bandied about by the papers over the past few weeks, and the Gunners are unlikely to let their player go for under their estimated price.
Indeed, Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein says he will not even listen to bids below £25m which is a far cry from the he is not for sale message the club have been spouting.
But what with this being the Vieira-to-Madrid story, the player has yet to hand in a transfer request and may not go anywhere.
He may even be playing the waiting game – much like Rio Ferdinand, who is spotted by the Mail.
The disgraced Manchester United and England defender hasnt played a competitive match in six months since he was banned for missing a routine drugs test.
And it looks like hes been using his time wisely growing his hair into an afro.
This earns him the Mails headline: Just when you thought football couldnt get any more ridiculous….
But we should applaud Ferdinand for not cutting his mop. The FA now has less need to give the player a urine test and can just check Ferdinands drugs history by analysing one of his hairs.
After all, the FA must have had enough of taking the piss to last it a lifetime…’
Posted: 3rd, August 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
