Altogether now: "I believe in miracles, Niall Quinn - you sexy thing. I believe in long balls, since you came along - Niall Quinn, you sexy thing." Yes, Sunderland's travelling support was in full voice, heartily bellowing their very favourite tune, at Valley Parade yesterday when Big Niall opened the scoring in a 4-1 win over Bradford, one that moved Sunderland up to the third in the Premiership. Big Niall in the Champions' League next season? And why not? And trust us, Alessandro Nesta will never have marked anything like him.
But, when the points are totted up at the end of the season and the `just-dodged-relegation' prizes are being handed out if Coventry still have a smile on their faces we reckon Gary Breen will have been the man to have put it there. His 87th-minute winner against Everton at Goodison Park yesterday won't get the `goal of the millennium' gong but was no less important for Gordon Strachan's side.
On the grapevine
Oh yes, Christmas is indeed the silliest of daft seasons when it comes to `on the move' rumours, not least because they seem to be the result of too much mulled wine. Our favourites?
Dwight Yorke - Manchester United to Manchester City. "It's so ridiculous it's almost funny," as City manager Joe Royle put it. It has to be said, though, Yorkie wasn't laughing. Even being linked with City is, surely, a sign he needs to get his finger out; Dennis Bergkamp - Arsenal to Newcastle. Mmm; Glenn Hoddle - Southampton to Spurs (after Enic, Spurs' new owners, sack George Graham); Paolo di Canio - West Ham to Manchester United (just as things were settling down PC, Post Cantona); David O'Leary - Leeds to Manchester United (after Sir Fergie hangs up his chewing gum).
Mulled wine, eh? It's a divil.
Very limited edition
IT'S rare that Planet Football is lost for words but when an Aston Villa-supporting pal of ours presented us with a `Limited Edition Corinthian Pro Stars' threeinch statue of Mikael Silvestre for Christmas we were, indeed, dumbstruck. "This blister pack is limited in production - do not open the package if you are collecting for longterm value," it advised on the back, where the other 15 limited edition tips-for-the-top for the 2000-2001 season are advertised. Sitting comfortably? Luc Nilis (picked up a career-threatening injury in his fifth game of the season - will probably never play again), Jason Wilcox (fractured his ankle in September, only weeks after returning from another long-term injury), Mark Burchill (shipped out on loan by Celtic to Birmingham), Titi Camara (flogged by Liverpool to West Ham), Denilson (loaned by Real Betis to Flamengo . . . who sent him back last week). Then there's Jody Morris, Billy Dodds, Hamilton Ricard, Tim Sherwood . . . enough. Limited edition or limited ability?
Not on your Nelly
French club Strasbourg are in a right huff after their game against Metz last Thursday night was abandoned when a flare thrown from the crowd stunned one of the referee's assistants. Strasbourg were leading 1-0 at the time and although the flare was chucked by a Metz fan they could lose all three points because they were the home team and, so, were responsible for security at the game.
The club need all the points they can get because they're bottom of the French league and have taken their anger out on the felled official who they accuse of being a big girl's blouse. Spookily enough, Nelly Viennot happens to be a non-boy too. Nelly "proved vulnerable to the rigours of the match," claim Strasbourg who guffawed on hearing she had suffered a damaged eardrum. "The image of a woman on the ground was obviously emotionally stirring for the referees' officials . . . but would the same penalty apply if the body on the ground was one which looked less vulnerable," they asked, haughtily. Well . . . yep. Answer us: is there anything worse than these `burn yer jock straps types'?
