FA chiefs staying mum about Harry
FA CHAIRMAN David Bernstein has been in conversation with Tottenham directors at both of the club’s last two matches but not a word was spoken about England manager-in-waiting Harry Redknapp.
The Club England quartet, led by Bernstein, who are choosing the next boss have kept their deliberations so tight that the H-word wasn’t even mentioned while the FA chairman was talking to the Tottenham board trio of Sir Keith Mills, Donna Cullen and Matthew Collecott.
The informal chats, when it would have been easy to at least prepare the ground for the timing of an FA move for Redknapp, took place at the FA Cup tie at Stevenage and last Sunday’s Premier League game at Arsenal.
Protocol demands that the FA would first have to seek permission from Spurs before any contact was made. And Tottenham have made it clear that any such approach would be regarded as ‘highly disruptive’ if it came before Champions League qualification or while they are still in the FA Cup.
Meanwhile, interim England coaches Stuart Pearce and Stuart Lancaster have become friendly over the last two years. They have shared ideas on how to improve young players, with the former addressing the England Saxons rugby team before a match last season and the latter watching the football Under 21s train.
Pearce could certainly do with some lessons from the other Stuart on public relations. While the impressive Lancaster hasn’t missed a media trick since his temporary appointment, his opposite number has been particularly unhelpful with the press — including not even being prepared to name a stand-in captain the day before a low-key friendly international.
DAVID SPARKES, chief executive of British Swimming, is not known for his sartorial elegance. But he’s now regarded as the fashion guru on the British Olympic Association board after being described as ‘cool’ by designer Stella Mccartney. This followed Sparkes’ complimentary remarks about creative director Mccartney’s ideas for the Team GB kit — to be unveiled on March 22 — which she was showcasing to the BOA directors. KEVIN PIETERSEN’S return to form in England’s one-day series against Pakistan was fortunate for his latest money-making venture. A new online coaching course, Keep Calm and Smash It, demonstrating KP’S ‘signature moves’ including the switch-hit and slap shot, was launched yesterday. There wouldn’t have been many takers for the £16 subscription if Pietersen (above) had carried on batting like he did in the Tests.
CHANNEL 4 decided on a low-key announcement of their presenter line-up — headed by Clare Balding, Jonathan Edwards and wheelchair basketball star Ade Adepitan — for their Paralympic coverage this summer. The network, following their desperate, blunder-strewn broadcasts of last year’s World Athletics Championships in Daegu, didn’t want too much scrutiny of their Paralympic plans until they are more advanced.