Collymore turns press box air blue
STAN COLLYMORE, talkSPORT lead football pundit who revels in laying down the law on the radio, astonished reporters with his behaviour during Aston Villa’s 3-3 Premier League draw with QPR on Tuesday night.
Collymore, despite sitting in the Villa Park press box where media impartiality is taken for granted, was jumping up and down during the game like the most fanatical Villa fan, celebrating the goals with the home supporters.
He even greeted QPR’s Joey Barton falling down to win a free-kick by clearly shouting at him: ‘You f****** rat.’
Villa fan Collymore believed such actions in the supposed neutral sanctuary of the press box were permissible as he wasn’t working for talkSPORT during the match. He tweeted: ‘With respect, on nights I go as a fan . . . I’m not being paid to do anything other than be a fan.’
And talkSPORT would not comment as they said Collymore wasn’t on duty, with reporter Nigel Pearson giving his rather more impartial verdict for the station. However Collymore did an interview with Adrian Durham and Darren Gough on talkSPORT before the match.
JASON
GILLESPIE, Yorkshire’s highly-rated Championshipwinning coach also in charge of Big Bash team Adelaide Strikers, is hardly your archetypal red-meateating Aussie fast bowler. Gillespie (right), who would be first choice for England as well if Peter Moores fails in the West Indies, is preparing for the new season by becoming a vegan. Meanwhile Lancashire’s supporters’ action group are questioning the value of having Sky Sports commentator Paul Allott on the club board after Peter Siddle, Lancashire’s overseas signing, was selected for Australia’s tours of the West Indies and England, ruling him out of county involvement. BOOKMAKERS Paddy Power, rabid publicists guaranteed to offend, have a new stunt showing Ruby Walsh supposedly preparing for the Grand National by jumping his horse over a speeding car. The YouTube video is plainly mocked up but, with sensitivities around animal welfare, it was crass of Walsh, jump racing’s pre-eminent jockey after AP McCoy’s forthcoming retirement, to involve himself in such a provocative spoof — even if he is a Paddy Power ambassador.
THE
split between FA chairman Greg Dyke and vice-chairman David Gill over homegrown players became very apparent during yesterday’s FA council meeting. After Dyke gave his well-received presentation, Manchester United director Gill, with his Premier League hat on, told the council that Dyke should have said ‘I’ rather than ‘we’ as the issue had yet to be debated by the FA board. Gill wants the consultation period to be a proper process starting at board level — during which no doubt the Premier League will try to hijack it. So the big question is whether Dyke is willing to use the rulebook to force it through.