Worthing's claim to Wembley

REGARDLESS of how much it cost, looking at the footage, it was certainly worth the wait for Wembley Stadium.

Now all I can hope is that Dean Wilkins can put some results together next season that might see the Seagulls walking out on the hallowed turf in either the play-offs or the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final.

On the subject of the old national stadium, I didn't realise until last week that a local player was in its recent history.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Do you know who the last person was to save a penalty, outside shoot-outs, before the old stadium was pulled down?

It was Worthing's very own John Prees, in 1992, for the Frog Pond in their Carlsberg cup final against a pub from Liverpool.

John informs me he is now a question in Trivial Pursuit.

As for a national team to play in the new stadium, never mind the result last night against Andorra, it's clear that the FA got it wrong again with their selection of manager.

But it went wrong before McClaren was even appointed.

We are led to believe that the marbled halls of Soho Square are inhabited by intelligent, forward-thinking people with the best interests of our domestic and international football paramount in their thoughts.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, they identified a suitable candidate with a proven track record but who, at that time, was managing another national team.

They wanted Luiz Felipe Scolari to announce before the World Cup that he was leaving Portugal to manage England, even though the two teams might meet in the competition, which they eventually did.

As an England fan, I cannot believe, with a top quality candidate almost nailed on, that the farce, including the resulting media circus, took place, and England lost out on someone who might actually have got the best out of a quality set of players who now seem regularly to underachieve.

It's been said that the acid test to gauge the competence and quality of the manager would be his next move, were he to vacate his position.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If Mourinho or Wenger became available, their phones would not stop with offers from around the globe.

McClaren would probably have to ring BT to check his line was still working.

All the knockers have gone on about the cost of the new Wembley. But another set of figures, perhaps equally as significant, is the many millions the FA will miss out on if England fail to qualify for Euro 2008, against the 2.5million it will cost to sack McClaren this week.

This week's London Marathon update starts with an apology. Last week's sex change was a first in my writing career.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

So, apologies to Hazel and Barry Waller and good luck to Barry as he, not Hazel, takes on the course for the first time, to benefit research into Huntington's Disease.

Danny Barker is tackling the 26 miles for VICTA (Visually Impaired Children Taking Action).

A change of cities, now, but local charities still benefit.

Ian Macara runs in the Paris race on April 15 for the Mile Project, a community-based Maybridge charity providing a number of activities and services for local residents, young and old.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If anybody wants to sponsor any runners in aid of these worthy causes they can contact me and I will pass on your details.

And finally, like a phoenix from the flames, the Ferring Football Club bar will re-open for business on Good Friday, April 6, with the legendary Ivan Culver, "Lord Mayor of Ferring", cutting the ribbon.

The club hope to run two teams on a Saturday next season and possibly a Sunday one, too.

At the end of May, the club will be officially re-launched with a bank holiday weekend of activities including a Ferring All-Time XI taking on Ian Hart's Spare Parts.

More details to follow . . .

Related topics: