Sock choice so costly!

AT least three England players are responsible for the FA being fined £53,000 by FIFA yesterday for breaching World Cup playing kit regulations.

Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling have all been wearing the Trusox brand of sock that gives more grip to stop the foot slipping inside the boot. A FIFA statement said that ‘several members of the English national team continued to display unauthorised commercial branding before and during the quarter-final match against Sweden.’

Dier’s name is displayed on the Trusox website as one of the players using their product.

lSKY Sports News gave Jamie Carragher a soft relaunch yesterday following the lifting of his ban after his road rage spitting incident. He was interviewed about the England game in his back garden.

IT has caused some bemusement at the FA that World Cup winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks, 80, should complain about the 1966 team not being invited out to Russia for the knockout stages.

Banks said: ‘I have been very disappointed with the FA and what they could have done for us.’ Yet the FA had already been in touch with the ’66 stars to invite them to the final if England made it, but didn’t want to say anything public until after the semi-final.

lSO little has gone awry at this World Cup that a FIFA panel discussion on diversity and discrimination at the Luzhniki Stadium before the England match yesterday resorted to warning broadcasters, including BBC and ITV, not to focus cameras too much on ‘hot women’ in the crowd.