No Brucey bonus as Ol' Cauliflower Face is left feeling Short-changed

"If others see fit to make a change then so be it but I'm ready for the challenge ahead." Famous last words from Ol' Cauliflower Face, now that "others" - well, Mackem owner Ellis Short - have indeed seen fit to "make a change" and given him the boot. Now the only challenge he faces is deciding what daytime TV to watch.

The final straw was Saturday's dismal Dark Place defeat by his former club Wigan, previously rock bottom of the table, during and after which the Great Unwashed booed with a vigour suggesting pantomime season has already begun down there.

Being a Geordie - a plastic one, despite his numerous protestations to the contrary - they never really took to him, and you have to salute Agent Bruce for leaving them within touching distance of the brown stuff. Highlights of his reign include sanctioning the sale of the club's prime goalscorer and then allowing Darren Bent's readymade replacement to leave for top-class football in, er, the United Arab Emirates - as well, of course, as masterminding our 5-1 thrashing of the miserable wretches last Halloween and the almost equally sweet win at the start of this campaign.