Dishing out the plaudits

It's that time of year when we feel obliged to overlook narrow tribal allegiances for a moment (easy this season, given that most of us are cursing our misfortune in following Newcastle), and to give credit where it's due.

So, congratulations to Chelsea - head and shoulders above the rest of the pack, they are worthy winners of the Premiership in their centenary year.

Congratulations too to Liverpool for last night's hair's-breadth victory over the Blues (making them - I think - only the third English side to beat Chelsea this season after Man City and ourselves). The triumph over two legs takes them into a European Cup Final for the first time since the 80s, but if it's Milan who they face in Istanbul, as looks likely, they'll have another very tough match on their hands.

Meanwhile, commiserations to Forest, for whom I feel a certain degree of sympathy even despite the years of mismanagement and the general awfulness of their performances this season. It's on behalf of the fans, though - as this, from Forest site Lost That Loving Feeling, suggests, they're a passionate lot that, like us at present, don't deserve to be let down time and again by the arseholes who run the show.

(Thanks to By The Sea Shore for the last link.)