Birmingham Mail

Some things I learned...

1. Gary Lineker, Willie Thorne, Nick Pullen, Showaddywaddy, Engelbert Humper...Humped...Humpit...yes you, where are you all? Your club needs you. There is nothing more soul-destroying than a new stadium, with more empty seats than punters and the rain teaming down with significant force. Even the Foxes' bugle seemed flat. Mind you, bet you they were all regulars during the Premiership years...

2. Which idiot decided to schedule a Championship football match for the same afternoon as Leicester Tigers' clash against Toulouse? (Note to BMW/Mercedes drivers - you do NOT have right-of-way. You just think you have.)

3. Ian Holloway likes to talk. His last press conference lasted a whopping 31 minutes until it was ended by the journalists who, as enthralled as they were by Holloway's ramblings, had rather imminent deadlines to meet. On Saturday he ended his press conference by demanding more questions from the floor and then telling all about his plans for Christmas.

4. Goal hero Craig Beattie once promised me an interview after each time he scored a goal. On Saturday he shied away from myself and other colleagues. Since last scoring for Albion he has suffered with a loss of form, the form of others, injuries, illness and, it now emerges, was even heckled by fans during a recent reserve team game. Disgraceful. No wonder he didn't want to talk. Craig, not everyone is against you. Go and prove them wrong again. And then don't forget to honour that promise...