Hold the back page:The departure of the Off The Ball team from Newstalk this week led to many a text exchange that went something like this: "Noooooooooo!"

In other words, gutted.

Until they return, wherever that might be, sporting radio will never be remotely the same. Most shocking of all, though, were some of the listenership figures reproduced this week. Newstalk, by all accounts, refused to allow Off The Ball eat in to the last hour of babe-magnet George Hook’s programme because of a fear the station would lose female listeners.

“Balderdash,” replied one or two affronted sport-loving women. But? Only 6,000 of Off The Ball’s average 39,000 listeners were of the female persuasion.

It calls to mind that quote: “I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved”. So, when Off The Ball returns, have some sense women, and tune in. You hear?