Sports Calendar

Spare us the bleatings of puffed-up prima donnas

It has been a vintage year for highly-paid footballers suffering bizarre delusions of grandeur, says Rod Liddle

What a year it’s been for cheats, bigheads and moaners

Sport’s growing band of less than admirable characters deserve an awards ceremony of their own, says Rod Liddle

Nutting players comes at a cost

Football’s scales of justice are too often rooted in the importance of the individual, rather than fair play

Why would world’s greatest sportsman cheat on his wife?

Celebrities like Tiger Woods transgress because they can. Because they can — and frankly, if we’re being honest, because you can’t

Playing happy families may be risky game for Forest

Rival supporters in the joint enclosure might still want to punch each other — but probably won't in front of the children

Fifa play their part in a French farce

As so often is the case, Roy Keane got it right: the ball bounced in the penalty area, why didn’t Ireland clear it?

Name game shames clubs

The renaming of Stamford Bridge would not produce so much animus among fans as the renaming of Anfield or St James’ Park

Clubs shouldn’t knock themselves out to sign King

The jailed striker may be ready to accept his punishment but football should turn its back on him for good, says Rod Liddle

Vote Barnes as candidate for the Emirates

If Arsène Wenger quits, the ex-Tranmere dream team can take over – unless Wigan’s Spaniard is chosen instead

Liddle: Ferguson fails anger management test

The Manchester United manager’s despicable bully-boy tactics should finally be stamped on by the FA, says Rod Liddle

Mere mortals aren’t big enough for Newcastle

It seems scarcely possible that the club could be the source of even more humour after they gave so selflessly last year

Nothing’s black and white in Diouf’s mad world

Accusing the Blackburn dribbler of racism is a missed opportunity: there are many more objectionable things about him

Poor old Maradona – no brains, no cash and no earrings

The Hand of God is making a poor fist of qualifying for South Africa, and isn’t it lots of fun watching him flounder?

Over the moon at great underachievers

It is not enough to merely succeed; it is more important to enjoy the prospect of others failing, says Rod Liddle

Tartan terrors thrive with bully-boy tactics

It was a return to the days of graft and guts over subtlety against Macedonia, but that made Scotland’s win all the better

Fall guys must pay the price

If the authorities accept that Eduardo cheated, shouldn’t Celtic have the right to demand the game be played again?

The pathetic sight of fools’ gold

As usual, we will in turn be repulsed and astonished by the money sloshing around in the Premier League this season

Rainy nights in Blackpool will sort men from the boys

Teams that concede six goals to Leyton Orient should live with the fact that promotion is a non-starter