Cakewalk for blazers

THE FA have changed their council meeting set-up so the blazers now sit around tables rather than in rows. This has been very well received — probably because the croissants and cakes are put on the tables ready to be scoffed straight away rather than the ravenous councillors having to wait until a break.

Also, FA chairman Greg Clarke and chief executive Martin Glenn are now prepared to answer questions on the hoof rather than have them submitted well in advance.

PETER BARNES, the former West Ham secretary, owed his elevation to a senior vice-president role at the FA because, according to chairman Greg Clarke, he wore his FA blazer and tie while on a sun-lounger in Malta before an England game there in 2017.