Speak no evil

I'm sure I'm not alone in finding most things about The Football League Show pretty excruciating to have to endure - from presenter Manish Bhasin and that weird aircraft hanger of a studio to the jolly bonhomie with which Mark Clemmit assaults his interviewees and of course the attempt to give us fans our say (which actually gives idiots their say) by text. Perhaps its most redeeming feature is the fact that it's available after the event on iPlayer, something we should be thankful for - the rights could still be with ITV, after all...

But fair play to call girl Lizzie Greenwood-Hughes, who in last night's installment pointedly and deliberately refused to refer to St James' Park by its new name to avoid giving Jabba the oxygen of any more advertising.

Still, it's distressing how many people in the media are using that ludicrous new name. Is this because they're sadistically enjoying the discomfort of us fans, something which should gradually wear off, or (more ominously) because the name change really has been taken seriously?

(Paul's report on yesterday's match to follow shortly.)