People and Business: Acronym panic

SARAH MODLOCK of the Financial Services Authority (FSA) press office was somewhat nonplussed this week when someone phoned up asking for Howard Davies's views on the Glenn Hoddle controversy.

Ms Modlock says she knew the FSA head was a keen fan of Manchester City, but was surprised that he was rated as such a football expert.

Then something occurred to her. "Don't you mean David Davies, the chairman of the Football Association (FA)?" she asked. "Oh, I don't know, I'll have to call back," the caller muttered.

Minutes later the caller came back and said that, yes, they had meant David Davies of the FA. So who was the confused questioner? Ms Modlock's lips are sealed, she says, in order "to protect the daft".

She adds that the FSA is now girding itself for calls to the Football Supporters Association (FSA) over the price of tickets and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) "over dodgy pork pies".