Football: Paddy baiters turn the air Sky Blue

BY COMMON consent, it was a markedly non-vintage Manchester United that ground out a winning result on Coventry City's muddy pitch on Saturday. And the injustice was not lost on one group of City supporters sitting in front of the Highfield Road press gallery on Saturday, as two representatives of Manchester radio stations discovered.

After the final whistle, the frustrated fans rounded on the hapless broadcasters, insisting in terms certainly not fit for the airwaves that they should tell their listeners exactly how lucky United had been. They were clearly no respecters of reputation. For underneath one set of headphones was the one-time Old Trafford legend Pat Crerand, under the other the former United manager, Wilf McGuinness.

Eye-witnesses said that Piccadilly Radio's Crerand, sent off six times in his United career, was considerably less than amused at the tone of some of the remarks and McGuinness, commenting for GMR, had to step in with some swift diplomacy.

"They were getting a bit loud and excited," McGuinness said. "They felt hard done by over losing and wanted Paddy to tell his audience that United had been lucky. It was perhaps just as well he had his earphones on because I don't think he could hear what they were shouting. But it all ended peacefully and no blows were struck. Paddy and I are a bit calmer these days."