Birmingham Mail

PITY the shopkeepers whose trade is said to have slumped by 40 per cent since tough new parking restrictions were introduced.

But pity, too, the motorists, delivery drivers and bus passengers who were caught up in traffic jams on the notorious Stratford Road before it was designated a red route.

THOSE of us who slump on our sofas in front of the television, can of beer at hand, half-eaten pizza nearby, will find it hard to believe the achievement of Birmingham policeman Steve Haywood.

He has just run 87 miles from London's Marble Arch to Dover, spent 16 hours swimming 22 miles across the English Channel and then cycled 180 miles to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

AS THE able-bodied go about their lives, they barely notice the steps, narrow doorways and tight corners they encounter daily.

But to those who are less mobile, these can be hurdles that are insurmountable.

BIG-hearted Maisie Gabriel-Allison, who has spent nearly two decades providing love and comfort to other people's children, is a remarkable woman.

Maisie opens her Weoley Castle home to offer respite care at weekends and evenings to youngsters with special needs.

JOHN Cadbury, the man who set up a coffee shop in Bull Street, Birmingham, in 1824 which grew into a global empire, must be turning in his grave.

The world-famous Cadbury chocolate-making process, for nearly 200 years a proud byword for Birmingham's enduring presence on the global manufacturing stage, is being part-franchised to Poland.

He's making quite a name for himself is young Wilson Palacios.

The Honduran midfielder, as Steve Bruce told the Birmingham Mail, continues to impress on a daily basis.

Bruce likened Palacios to a young Paul Ince.

And his goal against West Ham United's reserves was compared to Archie Gemmill's famous solo effort at the 1978 World Cup (the high spot of an hilarious campaign by our friends north of the border).

Praise indeed.

If not from his football, Palacios can be easily identified on the pitch by his bright yellow boots.

And but for a spur of the moment decision, his mop of shaggy hair would have been a trademark as well.

Palacios decided to shave it all off the night before his debut at Liverpool, and all by himself.

It left his team mates in stitches as he had missed great big clumps of it.

I couldn't help but giggle at the hilarious antics over at radio WM the other night when Daz Hale turned Stoke City fan Nick Hancock into a right numpty.

The 'comic', I believe is his trade, rang in to the live phone-in programme to complain that his club's name was being muddied by Hale following the 1-1 draw at Albion on Wednesday night.

A number of things occured to me while travelling down to Southampton on Saturday.
Firstly, was the shocking intensity of that van blaze on the M40 near Banbury.
Secondly, who was that 'pedestrian' (according to the warning signs) marching down the hard shoulder of the M40, this time nearer to Oxford, and was he 'captured' in time'?
Thirdly, where was the football traffic?
Ah yes, the football traffic...

And then I remembered - Saturdays are now reserved for WAG shopping and Uefa Cup recovery rather than Premiership football. It seems Blackburn were far too tired to play Blues on a Saturday after playing a side of Greek holidaymakers last Thursday, while the mighty Bolton were shattered after scraping past Macedonian 'Workers' (which is what Rabotnicki means in English)
Most of the games took place today apart from West Ham's visit to Villa, who bore everyone to tears anyway, and Manchester United's thrashing of a rugby league team called Wigan.
The rest were on a Sunday. A day for church, resting, roasts, Formula One and for laughing at the Scotland rugby team.
Whatever happens on the Sabbath, Sundays are certainly not for football.

And there is the lesson to all Baggies fans. Your team might be fighting for promotion back to the Premiership but I wonder whether it might be less hassle staying out of the Greed League - is there any fun trying to be 17th? - and sticking it out with the likes of Norwich, Palace and, heaven help us, Stoke City in the second tier. At least you know where you are on a Saturday afternoon.
In my case it meant spending yesterday afternoon enthusing over a stunning cruise liner docked in Southampton marina, listening to anti-Burma protesters playing the Bongos in the coastal city's shopping centre before watching an entertaining football match at St Mary's. The alternative would have been a trip to Ikea, Merry Hill or the Bullring.
And, quite frankly, that really doesn't bear thinking about.

CLAD in masks and bizarre outfits, the trick-or-treaters who appear on doorsteps at Halloween unintentionally frighten many people, especially the elderly.

They also put themselves at risk of injury or worse by wandering the streets after dark.

AMID the hurly-burly of a suburban shopping street, St Barnabas Church has stood with quiet solidity for generations.

It is one of those solid, old churches that remind us of values that have remained constant and comforting while the world around has changed.

Foot-and-Mouth disease is something that regularly comes and goes in the news.
Well when it comes to John Toshack, Foot-in-Mouth has never been away. (see what I did there!!!)
The ever-insightful Welsh boss can now add Mick McCarthy to the expanding list of footballing folk he has alienated after his ill-advised comments about Freddy Eastwood last week.
Tosh decided to throw a few brickbats at both McCarthy and Derby boss Billy Davies for spending big bucks on Eastwood and Robert Earnshaw in the summer – and then not playing them.
As McCarthy himself said with a smile: “Good old Tosh.�
After all, Toshack is of course the manager who has seen Eastwood play in all his games so far this season.
He is of course the manager who sees him train every day, who chats to him about his game, what improvements are required, how he is settling into his change of environment.
Oops. Sorry, I forgot. It’s not Toshack who manages Eastwood day-to-day and knows how best to treat him. It’s McCarthy. Silly old me. Good old Tosh.

THE noises emerging from government circle suggest that money has finally been made available to transform Birmingham's ramshackle New Street Station.

Now it is up to all those involved in this process to work diligently but swiftly to tie up any loose ends so this long-awaited scheme can finally go ahead.

WHATEVER happens to Niki Evans in the X Factor final, her story is extraordinary.

Here is a mother-of-two who works as a school catering manager and whose teenage dreams of showbiz stardom appeared to have evaporated.

There's clearly something in the water at Albion's Walsall-based training ground.

Not only did Paul Robinson and Kevin Phillips go white overnight a few weeks back - concocting some likely story about a barbecue, peer pressure and a bottle of Peroxide - but one of Albion's prominent first-teamers has now been forced out of the club's unofficial 'Alice Band' brigade after having his hair lopped off.

The Baggies star looks so different that many of the club's staff didn't even recognise him when he turned up for training today.

So who is the mystery man with the newly-lowered ears? Come back tomorrow and I'll reveal all...

Yes, that's right, it's a question I'm asking, not the title of an entry where I'm about to tell you what's going on in this multi-media world. Blogs, websites, breaking news online, video journalism, Google, You Tube... which is the winner in the ethernet, and which should be concentrated on by us old print hacks who are such professionals at, er, print journalism?
Today I was discussing training budgets for next year for the Birmingham Mail, and the subject again was a bit of a lottery. Should we send four, eight or 12 print hacks on a basic video-journalism course to add to our current VJ team of one? Or is the SEO course the one we should be reserving places on (search engine optimisation)?

OPEN your eyes and ears to the city around you before growing too alarmed by a report which suggests that Birmingham's status as a great place to do business is dwindling.

According to the Cushman and Wakefield European Monitor, Birmingham is no longer a top twenty city.

THERE will be tears on Monday as friends and relatives gather to mourn the loss of Katy Rose, who died at the age of 21 just two weeks after giving birth.

But let us hope there are smiles, too, as members of the congregation remember a kind-hearted, happy woman who was loved by those around her and returned that affection.

It was the question which kept you all awake at night - stop sniggering - so here's the answer.

So who was the former long haired hero who had taken a pair of scissors to his mane?

Step forward Carl Hoefkens.

The Belgian marched into the training ground yesterday to looks of 'we know you...but we're not sure where from.'

Dean Kiely had a bit more to say about it when the Birmingham Mail caught up with him at lunchtime.

"I normally room with Steelie but I roomed with Carl last Friday and I don't know if I had an effect but he didn't mention his hair so it was a surprise to see it.

"Jono told me that Carl had had his hair cut so I just thought he'd had a trim but he's gone the whole hog, it's all come off and quite spiky - it's very fashionable actually."

There is none of this 'Alice Band' or ponytail nonsense as far as Kiely is concerned.

When asked whether he would be following the likes of Greening and Koren in growing his own hair, he added: "I have no plans to grow mine. I did mine back in 1992 ...when it was fashionable."

Ouch.

So the secret is out although I hear Tony Mowbray let the cat out of the bag at yesterday's Supporters' Forum.

Speaking of which, the Baggies boss was none too pleased to see some of his comments from the meeting - which was supposed to be kept 'within the four walls' - splashed all over some of the fans' message boards today, not least as one or two of his observations were apparently taken out of context.

Ouch. Again.

WE make snap judgments on the wannabe celebrities who strut their stuff on television programmes such as The X Factor.

Yet we seldom see behind the glitzy image and manufactured personalities that they, as performers, adopt.

NO PRIZES for guessing who would eventually pick up the bill if Birmingham City Council continues to let its spending soar out of control – us.

Today comes the alarming news that just four months into the financial year, the authority is heading towards a £10 million overspend.

Steve Bruce, Blues longest-serving manager of the post-War years.

Time flies, doesn't it.

But will Bruce fly, or be swatted, after all the ructions regarding Carson Yeung's decision to block his new contract?

In Yeung's eyes, it might all be a big fuss about nothing.

He has always said that he likes Bruce and wants him to stay when his takeover is complete.

But by using his veto, he has stirred up a right hornet's nest.

It has brought into focus not just Bruce's future, but plonked a general cloud of uncertainty over St Andrew's.

Concern about Yeung's plans and the way he is to raise the capital to fund his purchase through Grandtop International has also been questioned.

Check out an outsider's take on the saga - Martin Samuel's piece in The Times is excellent.
link
When Bruce and Yueng meet ahead of the Manchester City game, issues need to be sorted, the air needs to be cleared. That cloud has to be lifted.

Yeung has to tell the supporters just what his intentions are and Blues must let him have his say.

It's in his and the club's best interests for that to happen after all.

Dutch footballers are technically excellent but woefully daft at times.

Take Johan Cruyff for instance. Holland's No.14 was without doubt one of the finest footballers of all time. Yet during the 1974 World Cup he spent so much time squabbling with his team-mates about sponsorship issues - the Puma-backed genius wore two stripes on his shirt sleeves while he team-mates fulfilled their adidas obligations by wearing three - that the whole team flopped in the final against West Germany. And then, when at his peak, he made himself unavailable for the 1978 World Cup because, well, he couldn't really be bothered.

In 1996 Edgar Davids was sent home from the European Championships in England for suggesting that coach Gus Hiddink's head was stuck somewhere rather dark and unpleasant.

And, since then we've had racial tensions between players, a succession of shoot-out miseries and a tendency to choke at crucial moments.

And now Ryan Babel has topped that. The Liverpool forward missed a training session and pre-match nosh up before the Euro 2008 qualifiers because, according to coach Marco van Basten, he had 'overslept'.

All of which is nothing new to Albion fans and their own experience of a sleepy Dutchman back in 1999.

Thinking that the Easter Monday game against Crewe would be an evening kick-off, the legendary Fabian De Freitas spent the afternoon having a pleasant kip while frantic Albion officials struggled to contact him. His girlfriend, showing loyalty to her partner beyond the call of duty, rather unhelpfully ignored the phone calls.

Meanwhile, over at the Hawthorns, Denis Smith's Albion side, sans De Freitas, were busy getting battered 5-1.

Sherjill MacDonald and Shelton Martis - your cards are marked...

OKAY not Rod, Jane and Freddy but Steve, Jay and Freddy.
But you see where I’m coming from.
In Wolves’ case the question of the week is who gets the nod to partner Andy Keogh up front in Saturday’s clash of the promotion-chasers with Charlton at Molineux.
Keogh and Stephen Elliott have been Mick McCarthy’s main partnership of choice so far this season.
But with Elliott having last week returned home from Republic of Ireland duty with a hamstring problem and unlikely to be fit for the weekend, it’s down to a two-horse race between Jay Bothroyd and Freddy Eastwood.
And Bothroyd’s lively performance and goal for the reserves against Shrewsbury on Monday afternoon means he’s probably just about nudged his nose in front.
With the fallout of his two public and early-season spats with McCarthy now pretty much eroded by his knuckling down since, the former Charlton man said this afternoon he is now desperate to be “let loose� against his most previous club.
And I don’t think he was talking about the 90’s boyband with the dodgy barnets.
Eastwood may have to come up on the rails as his travails with Wales on Saturday were about as subdued as his last Wolves performance as a second half substitute against Coventry.
But like Bothroyd, he boasts explosive finishing power, and remains the club’s top scorer with four so far.
Don’t forget too that Eastwood may get the chance to stake another claim and don his shooting boots for Wales against San Marino on Wednesday night.
So Steve, Jay or Freddy?
Whoever of the latter two gets the nod will be hoping to see some light at the end of the rainbow come 3pm on Saturday.

According to the "Atlas of Bird Migration" (quite a thick book so everything in it must be true): "Contrary to popular belief, there is no such creature as a "seagull". Although many gulls are birds of inshore waters and some rarely leave the open ocean, others nest far from any ocean and, during migration, cross the prairie grasses and farmland that characterises the American Great Plains - the antithesis of "seagull" habitat."

So, there you have it. I, and others inside and outside the Edgbaston press-box, can only admit, candidly and shamefully, that we were wrong. Sincere apologies.

ONCE a humble bag of cheese and onion crisps reigned supreme in our pubs, but times have changed.

Their menus now boast dishes that wouldn't be out of place in a fancy restaurant. And, inevitably, the prices reflect this.

OUR leafy suburbs are one of the glories of England. And central to their verdant appeal are extensive gardens that allow plants and wildlife to flourish.

Yet more and more gardens are being developed to make way for new housing.

Simon Jordan and Neil Warnock, the 'dream ticket' according to the Crystal Palace chairman.

Gawd help us.

But smile not, Blues fans. Imagine Warnock down St Andrew's way?

Not so far fetched, actually.

Warnock was a serious contender for the manager's job back in the day.

David Sullivan has always liked Warnock's ability to organise, motivate and get results on limited resources.

And when Trevor Francis was put on his bike, Warnock was up there among the replacements being seriously considered.

Had Steve Bruce not untangled himself from the legalities of leaving/quitting/being sacked by Jordan, you never know . . .

Warnock has always been complimentary to Blues board in his public comments as well.

Sullivan has always been a fan of Mick McCarthy's too, going back to his time with Ireland.

WE IGNORE at our peril the challenges created by massive immigration.

Waiting in the shadows are ill-intentioned extremists ready to exploit the concerns of ordinary, decent people who feel they are being neglected by mainstream politicians.

THE nation's eyes will be on Birmingham in December when the BBC Sports Personality of the Year event heads back to the NEC.

It is a major feather in this city's cap that we have been chosen to host these prestigious awards – especially in a year when the English rugby team and racing driver Lewis Hamilton have achieved so much.

WOKE up this morning, got showered, put on my £50 Asda suit...checked my telephone for text alerts or missed calls from anyone at Aston Villa...nope, nothing there.....thank God!

My heart couldn't have taken it. Why break the habit of a lifetime just when everyone is starting to enjoy themselves!

Mick McCarthy may have been called many things by his Irish detractors down the years.

But even they must surely never be able to doubt his courage.

The Wolves manager made a quick hop across the Irish Sea on Tuesday night to take in England under-21s game with the Republic. And it wasn’t to check on the progress of his own winger Michael Kightly (who wasn’t even on the bench, probably to McCarthy’s satisfaction!).

Tony Mowbray celebrates his first anniversary at the club today but life at The Hawthorns could have been so different...

Mowbray was one of three candidates shortlisted for the job and got voted in unanimously by the Albion board.

The other two candidates? Now that would be telling.

HOSPITALS are in the spotlight today – and it's a case of the good, the bad and the very, very ugly.

Good because three local health trusts – Birmingham Children's Hospital, the Heart of England and South Staffordshire and Shropshire Mental Healthcare – have been revealed by official figures to be among the best in the country.

IF YOU need reminding, Christmas is well and truly on the horizon. And it looks like it's going to be a cracking one here in Birmingham.

The Sugababes have been lined up to switch on the city's festive lights at Millennium Point on November 10 after a fivehour free concert featuring McFly, Leonna Lewis and Scouting For Girls.

Just when we thought 2007 would be a year to entirely forget for the Bears, October has brought glory. Paul Warren has swept magnificently into the regional final of Britain's Best Dish (ITV 5pm).
His exquisite trout mousse had Jilly Goolden drooling (I think it was over the mousse) and wiped the floor with the fry-up served up by his opponent Mike.
In a thrilling, end-to-end encounter, Mike warned: "I'm going to trounce his trout mousse!" But Paul cleverly declined to get drawn into a war of words, honed his horse-radish sauce to perfection and kept his nerve brilliantly to produce what one judge described as "a true classic."

THE echo from the horrific bomb attack on Benazir Bhutto will reverberate around the world.

For make no mistake: this was an attack on democracy and tolerance by hate-filled fanatics who are opposed to such values.

FEW tears will be shed for the seven thugs who have been jailed for their involvement with dog fighting in Birmingham.

Indeed, many people will think the four and six month sentences should have been a whole lot longer.

Sometimes it's the little things that give it away.

If anyone thinks Steve Bruce's mind is on the Bolton Wanderers job, or pastures new in general, think again.

IT’S all starting to get rather humorous at Bolton Wanderers.

Not only have the Trotters had permission to speak to Blues boss Steve Bruce rejected, they’ve also been turned down in their attempts to discuss their vacant managerial position with Real Sociedad’s Chris Coleman and Leicester’s former Albion boss Gary Megson as well.

And apparently they have also been in touch with the available former Wigan manager Paul Jewell.

Doesn’t exactly strike you as a club which knows what it’s doing. And while it is neither big nor clever to laugh at other football club’s misfortune, in this instance it’s flipping hilarious.

I must have felt a bit like the white-suited Ricardo Montalban on Fantasy Island yesterday.

The star of the late 1970s TV blockbuster: "Fantasy Island" used to get up close and personal to his 'Tattoo' as his character Mr Roarke, the wise-old fox of an overseer of a mysterious island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

Tattoo, played by the diminutive Herve Villechaize, would bound up and down a tree having caught sight of the week's guests.

Anyway....I'm losing my point. I saw the Tattoo yesterday...there at the Holte Hotel.

Temporary stands, terracing, a partisan crowd and a press box which could be best described as cosy - welcome to Layer Road.

In fairness I was making my final trip to Colchester's stadium - assuming the FA Cup draw doesn't throw up any nasty surprises - as the Essex boys will be off to pastures new, presumably a bland new home next to a McDonalds and maybe even a Frankie and Benny's.

The less said about Albion's performance the better. You can read all about that particular ordeal in Monday's Birmingham Mail.

But a few things did occur to me during the match...

When I was 10-years-old I recall racing out of my bed one November morning and rushing downstairs to the Lepkowski family TV - a massive 32 inch Nordmende from Lewis's no less -and typing in that magic number on Ceefax. It was the three digit number for the motor sport page.

The headline, and it was 21-years ago so bear with me for any minor inaccuracies, was something about 'Mansell', 'tyre', 'blow-out' and 'Prost'.

Alain Prost had won the title he should never have won.

It was 1986. And I was absorbed by a Formula One season - involving a last race shoot-out between three drivers - which would lead to me watching each race religiously during my teens, wanting a Nigel Mansell moustache, mourning the death of my hero Ayrton Senna and wondering whether Michael Schumacher was a robot or just a cocky German who was rather good. I was even privileged enough to work as a journalist in motor sport in the late 1990s but by then my interest was on the wane. All of a sudden F1 became as interesting as an episode of Countryfile.

And then along came Lewis Hamilton.

PEER group pressure is a potent thing.

How many kids end up in trouble, not because they are inherently bad, but because they feel the need to 'fit in' and impress their friends?

IT is more than 200 years since Britain's greatest seaman Lord Admiral Nelson made his fabled visit to Birmingham.

But it has never been forgotten.

IT is 40 years since the law which made abortion in the UK legal at up to 28 weeks was passed.

But the debate over whether it is right or wrong continues to rage.

IN an age when even the police have complained about the time they spend filling in forms rather than fighting crime it is refreshing to hear that for the next two weeks, at least, many of them will not be chained to their desks.

Instead, hundreds of officers and council staff are set to hit the streets to work with local people on a crackdown on 'crime and grime'.

IT was the day football in this country changed forever.

When 96 fans set off to watch their beloved team battle it out in an FA Cup semi-final and never came home. The victims of the Hillsborough disaster.

BIRMINGHAM'S reputation as a truly international city has been given another boost by news that passengers will soon be able to catch a train to Paris and Brussels.

Virgin Trains will link up with Eurostar on November 14 when London's famous St Pancras station reopens after a multi-million pound facelift.

So Gary Megson has finally got his move to the Premiership.

But what kept him?

Well maybe I have some answers.

People will have their own opinions on whether Megson is good enough to manage in the Premiership but in truth he should have been there a long, long time ago because he was good enough. Sadly, you need more than a CV full of promotions and near-misses. Like tact, grace and, in his case, anger management lessons.

Paranoid of his own shadow, unable to cope with the intellect of his brighter players (he was especially threatened by those nearing the end of their careers who were keen to pursue coaching) and frightened of any former Albion hero who challenged him, Megson was the architect of his own downfall at The Hawthorns and the sole reason why so few have been willing to touch him with a bargepole since. Bob Taylor, Richard Sneekes, Richard O'Kelly, Cyrille Regis, John Wile, Jason Roberts, John Trewick...I could go on.

And then there were his disputes with Paul Thompson and Jeremy Peace, where every press conference became his very own political broadcast on behalf of the Megson Party. You could ask a question about a player's groin strain and he'd still manage to have a dig at the chairman during the course of his answer.

Football is a small community, word gets around when someone struggles with harmony and relishes confrontation.

Megson should have been the next English coach to evolve from the Sam Allardyce and David Moyes mould of management - a 'gaffer' who demanded hard work, honesty from his players and whose teams bore the pragmatic hallmarks of the men who managed them. He should be held in the same esteem as these two, yet his stock has been on the wane since he left Albion.

He should have been a manager with several years of Premiership experience behind him, rather than a manager with one top flight relegation to his name.

He could have ended up at Everton.

I recall one chat I had with Megson at The Hawthorns, at the height of his dispute with then chairman Paul Thompson. It was around the time Walter Smith was sacked by Everton. Megson was convinced he was the second choice candidate for the Goodison Park job behind Moyes. It wasn't the first job he went for.

IT IS shaping up to be the most nailbiting televised bout since Muhammed Ali and George Foreman's Rumble in the Jungle.

At least if you live in the Midlands.

MOTORISTS are set to get their own express lane on one of the busiest commuter routes into Birmingham. But only if they have at least one passenger and travel in the morning.

Critics may question how much impact such a scheme will have on congestion.

Wolves’ midweek win in Cardiff offered a fascinating glimpse between past and present when it comes to the club’s managers.
A fascinating contrast between Dave Jones and Mick McCarthy.
In many ways the two are so much alike.
It wouldn’t be derogatory to describe them as ‘old school’ bosses – tough, uncompromising defenders in their day whose management skills were honed through their personalities and life experiences rather than any coaching badges.
That’s not to say they haven’t fulfilled the necessary coaching criteria – McCarthy indeed completed his UEFA Pro Licence this summer.
But at Ninian Park on Wednesday we saw the contrasting ways in which both are trying to get their respective clubs up to the Premiership.
And the Jones approach certainly brought back a few memories of his dances with Wolves.
Bringing in the experience and established quality of Robbie Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is a typically Jones decision.
“I bring in good players and just let them play,� was one of the mantras from a manager who was never disposed to wield too much weight on the training field.
Throw in Darren Purse and Trevor Sinclair – and you could have been transported back to Molineux of old and the acquisition of the likes of Paul Ince, Denis Irwin, Mark Kennedy and Colin Cameron.
Heck, Jones has even brought in a ‘Rae’ – though this time Gavin and not Alex!
In contrast McCarthy’s masterplan both last and this season is a more vibrant and energetic one driven by the exuberance of youth as opposed to the wiles of experience.
Yes there are years of established know-how from figures such as Gary Breen and Jody Craddock, but in the positions which tend to dictate your attacking thrust, the front six, Wolves boast an average age of 23.
And it showed the other night.

It was interesting to see Martin Jol sacked from Spurs not least because there was a period between Gary Megson and Bryan Robson where, as manager of RKC Waalwijk of Holland, he was considered for the Albion job.

Jol, let's not forget, did, after all, make 63 appearances for the club, scoring four goals in between the odd yellow card here or there.

And that's not all.

When Megson was sacked a certain Albion legend was asked about for his suggestion to take over at B71. His answer: Martin Jol...

I had the pleasure of interviewing him before Albion's FA Cup fourth round tie against Spurs in 2005. Anyone who remembers the specific name of a cafe on West Bromwich High Street, in Carters Green, and has clear memories of feeding the geese at 'Swan Pool' in Dartmouth Park and drank at the 'Europa Hotel' more than two decades on deserves respect. His memory for detail was excellent.

Articulate, clever and a decent coach - Tottenham's loss will be somebody else's gain.

Good luck Martin Jol. Or, to give him the correct spelling, Maarten.

WE ARE very disappointed with the way Heartlands Hospital does not feel able to provide clarity over the death of a teenager in its care.

The Birmingham Mail is a responsible newspaper of record. We do not seek to cause problems or embarrassment for no good reason.

A few nerves in the Dyson household this weekend as the clock ticks down to a head-to-head with MP John Hemming over the Mayor debate on The Politics Show. Editor's are best left to print, not to live TV debates wth veterans of Parliament. Mind you, while Hemming and myself disagree over the mayoral referendum, I have an ace up my sleeve. "Tell viewers what you'd do if there WAS an elected mayor for Brum, john," I will say. Bet you he won't resist what he's said before. John Hemming would stand, of course (and a very good mayor he'd make too!)

First the Liquidator gets banned on safety grounds and now the Albion drummer has been given the Martin Jol treatment by being 'fired' during a game.

For some time now Albion have provided a drum to help generate an atmosphere at The Hawthorns.

Yet it seems a handful of Smethwick Enders have been unhappy with the racket generated by the drum, which happens to be housed in their stand. Fine - it happens, sadly not everyone can be kept satisfied.

But was it really necessary for the unfortunate scenes during Saturday's 2-0 win against Norwich when a mob of stewards caused an almighty fuss by confiscating the offending musical instrument and carrying it like something your dog would ask you to scoop into a carrier bag?

I think not.

Mind you it's still not as ridiculous as the banning of the Liquidator, forced out by the faceless and anonymous 'Safety Committee', who have deemed the Albion anthem as being capable of inciting trouble and hatred.

How on earth is a reggae track supposed to cause trouble? No, I don't know either.

Get over yourselves, whoever you are, and stop taking yourselves so seriously.

No wonder that attendances at most grounds are dwindling when killjoys spend more time preventing fun rather than encouraging it.

Cobblers I say. And I don't mean Northampton Town.

The cloud of uncertainty has lifted over St Andrew's . . . or has it?

That was Steve Bruce's hope following the meeting with Carson Yeung and his associates.

Yeung said all the right things - the takeover would happen, Bruce would stay as manager, there would be money to spend (although no figures have yet been agreed).

A LONG wait at a bus stop for a service that is late is one of life's irritations – worse if a clock-watching boss is fuming at the other end of the journey or a hospital appointment is missed.

And at this time of year, as temperatures fall and the nights get longer, the discomfort of standing in the cold and dark is especially frustrating.

CRITICISM is often flung at Royal Mail, sometimes with good reason.

But the efforts of postman Pete Armitage illustrate just what a cracking service they frequently provide.

Sometimes even journalists end up wishing that a story would run its course.
That after endless bouts of seemingly going round in circles, there could be some resolution, some closure.
At Wolves this season there have been enough column inches written about Freddy Eastwood to bring down a small rain forest.
From his arrival as a big-money ‘star’ signing, to his opening the season on the bench, to his coming in and scoring goals for club and country, and then back to sitting on the bench, Eastwood’s Molineux inauguration has provided the Wolves fans with plenty of debate to sink their teeth into.
Then, with five minutes on the clock at Ipswich on Saturday, came the chink of light press and public alike were all hoping for.
Eastwood, having knuckled down and started to adapt his game to Mick McCarthy’s demands, placed the ball on the penalty spot after Michael Kightly was felled by home keeper Neil Alexander.
For Eastwood, and all followers of the story, possible salvation.
A fifth goal of the season, a place back in McCarthy and supporters’ hearts, and the chance to relaunch his Wolves career.

IT WOULD be laughable were it not so serious.

The number of complaints to Severn Trent Water soared from 36,239 in 2005-6 to 68,874 in the the following 12 months – with a third of that total made up of people complaining that they could not get through on the complaint line.

AS TEEN heroes go, Vivaldi and Chopin probably aren't up there with Kanye West and The Twang.

And it would be hard to imagine the average hoodie playing Mozart or Tchaikovsky through his earphones rather than 50 Cent or the Kaiser Chiefs.

I was glad to be on the edge of the Cotswolds listening to the Villa-Man United game on Radio 5 Live.

Better 90 miles away with a full fridge than having to report on what was a very difficult evening indeed. I just wish I had still been tucked away in Chipping Sodbury last Sunday.