It's 'absurd'.....

David Whelan was born in Bradford in 1936, raised in Wigan, is a former professional footballer and the current owner of Wigan Athletic FC. He was a successful businessman; after the acquisition of Wigan fishing and sports store JJ Bradburns in 1977.….Whelan turned JJB Sports into the leading UK sports retailer.

In 2007 he stepped down as Chairman of JJB Sports and sold his remaining stake in the company in 2007.

But the new Chairman surely doesn’t need the help of the Government, despite shares in JJB standing at only 97.75 against a 12 month high of 302.

Yes, the impending nationalisation of Northern Rock may just add a few pence to the share price.

How long will it be before Newcastle United FC have to use black and white tape to cover up their sponsors logo and start the search for a new benefactor? Not even Labour would fail to see that if the Government were to sponsor one Club then perhaps 91 others may come calling…..

And being such a ‘big’ club, with support across the UK and beyond, a few hundred thousand replica shirts could be sold between now and the end of the season.

With so much time spent travelling across the UK in support of Aldershot Town, the car radio can be a great friend. Sports Report, live football, travel news and Radio 4, a gentle respite from Radio 5’s 6-0-6 with Alan Green.

But last Saturday I travelled to Kingfield, Woking, with a business colleague and suffered the pain that often follows a few minutes of Green’s comment and pronouncements.

6-0-6 was dominated by the aftershock of ‘Big Sam’s’ departure, and the 6v0 drubbing by United. The seamless stream of public comment massaged by Green’s obvious dislike of all things Allardyce. And at the summit of pomposity Green decreed that only the Toon Army could articulate opinion on the demise of Sam. It was ridiculous for the unconnected to suggest that perhaps Allardyce should have been given a bit more time….that perhaps the ‘Big Club’ needed radical surgery and that recovery would take more than a few months.

Yes, at this suggestion old Greenie displayed his true colours….the colours that don’t fly that high at Old Trafford, the Reebok and a few other grounds around the country. ‘Look, if you haven’t got the shirt you can have no opinion’.

But hang on a minute Alan…..isn’t it about £50billion of loans and underwriting that is keeping Northern Rock afloat. Without my money how could Northern Rock make their monthly payments to Newcastle United?

I’m sorry Alan but we all have an interest in St James’ Park.

And I’m just a bit worried about the impending nationalisation of Northern Rock. You see it is going to be Peter Hain and his administrative mates that will take charge of the Company in the future.

Peter insisted this week that he would get on with his job and that it was ‘absurd’ to suggest he had tried to cover up undeclared donations of £103,000 to his recent deputy Labour leadership campaign.

I agree.

The affair, as currently reported, suggests incompetence and not deceit.

Now what did I do with that big fat fee received in December…….?

Gosh, if Peter finds it difficult to keep track of £103,000 how on earth can we have any confidence that our billions will be safe under a nationalised Northern Rock.

The incompetence illuminated by recent events and played out in our newspapers every morning only serves to confirm the arrogance of government. An arrogance fuelled by power and aged in the oak cask of Westminster.

As for Greenie……he is easily dealt with.

I simply turn to Radio 4.

The visit to Woking for the FA Trophy game was like most other trips this season.

An excellent turnout by Shots fans, plenty of noise, a controlled performance and a win.

For much of the game, and on a very heavy pitch, Aldershot performed below their best. Woking were clearly fired up for the challenge……their season would be over with a defeat.

And the referee? Not a good vintage.

But the result was probably never in doubt. It was a bit like playing football in the garden with a four years old relative…..no matter how many goals you let the youngster score…..the inevitable injection of adult power, pace and guile will result in a victory well before the Yorkshire Puddings are dished up.