Gareth dresses by book

GARETH SOUTHGATE’S smart waistcoat attire for England matches could be in memory of his maternal grandfather Arthur Toll, a former Royal Marine who always gave a lot of attention to the way he dressed. Southgate’s authorised biography Woody and

Nord — based around his friendship with fellow Crystal Palace apprentice Andy Woodman — recalls how Gareth remembers watching his grandfather taking his time making sure his waistcoat fitted perfectly.

Were England to progress to the World Cup semi-finals, publishers Penguin would be foolish not to reprint Woody and Nord, written in 2003 by top sports journalist David Walsh. Southgate was given the nickname Nord by his former Crystal Palace coach Wally Downes.

IT HASN’T gone unnoticed at the FA, who are considering bidding for the 2030 World Cup, that a lot of the purpose-built Russian stadiums are more suited to staging the tournament than some of England’s top grounds. Acres of surrounding space have allowed the Russians to have the first tier of security some way from the venue and all the extra facilities needed on the stadium surrounds. Many English grounds, including Wembley, are cramped for space.