THAT WAS THE WEEKEND THAT WAS

City return to the future

The madness that seemed once to have Birmingham City held firmly in its grasp appears finally to have moved away from St Andrew's, the former home of Barry Fry and his amazing revolving playing staff.

Around a year ago, driven by some unfathomable logic with which even Fry found himself at odds, City decided that there was no future in having a youth policy and scrapped its school of excellence. It was all to do with the Bosman ruling, the boardroom reasoning being that if players were going to leave without a fee once their contracts were at an end, there was little point in a club wasting thousands of pounds on their development.

Surprise, surprise. Following the arrival of Trevor Francis, himself a product of a past Birmingham youth scheme, attitudes have somewhat changed. Not only is youth policy back on the Birmingham agenda, owner David Sullivan is appealing for cash support for his Blues Academy of Football.

Bob Latchford, another who rose through the ranks at St Andrews, has been recruited to give added impetus to this extraordinary change of direction, quitting his public relations job with bookmakers Ladbrokes to become City's youth development officer.

"Some of our rivals are spending fortunes on developing their own players, Latchford said, quoting Norwich - beaten by Trevor Francis's upwardly- mobile senior side on Saturday - as the example to follow. The Carrow Road outfit plough some pounds 600,000 annually into their own nursery schemes.

"There is a lot of untapped talent in the Midlands and we want to be in a position to take these youngsters on board," Latchford said. Now why didn't Sullivan and company think of that before?

Where do we stand?

After watching Tony Adams sent off and eight players booked as Warwick referee Graham Barber went on the rampage at St James' Park, a good many managers will doubtless be sharing Frank Clark's bafflement with the contrasting performances of this season's Premier League officials. The Nottingham Forest manager was under the impression that referees had been ordered to take a more lenient approach after seeing Blackburn captain Tim Sherwood escape with a booking for his assault on Forest captain Stuart Pearce when the sides met last week.

The incident came less than 24 hours after David Elleray had been unusually tolerant with Arsenal's Patrick Vieira during the North London derby and Clark interpreted Paul Alcock's handling of the match at the City Ground as a following of the example set by his senior colleague.

"If all referees are going to be as lenient as this, that's fine," Clark said. "But six weeks ago there would have been a couple sent off against Blackburn.

"I'm all in favour of keeping 11 versus 11 on the field but we need to know where we stand. If all referees are going to be the same, I accept that."

Leniency? If there is any new directive for referees to apply more discretion to their interpretation of the rules, it clearly has not found its way to Mr Barber.

MISTAKEN

IDENTITY

Bill Gates

Johan Cruyff

Back in the 1970s, nobody made money like today's players - but the wise old pro made sure he had something to fall back on. He bought a night club or a sports shop... or developed a multinational computer software corporation and became the richest man in the world. A little foresight and a pair of specs certainly opened some Windows for Johan, it seems.

NOISES OFF...

He wrote down so many numbers I thought he must be filling in his lottery ticket

Ian Wright, one of nine players booked or sent off by referee Graham Barber at St James' Park

It won't take many more performances like that for me to start changing the personnel. We were awful - you'd have thought it was our 10 against their 11.

Kevin Keegan, after Newcastle's surrender

It always seems to happen here. Last year it was Mark Draper, this time Alan Wright. I think I'm going to be out for a long while.

Juninho, fluent enough in English to point accusing fingers after limping off at Villa Park

They say these things even themselves out over a season. It just seems now that we are owed quite a few.

Bryan Robson, on the penalty that gave Villa the points

What do they want? Do they want to see something like three years ago when I first came here and we got thrashed 5-1? I would settle for a point at Sheffield Wednesday any day of the week.

Harry Redknapp, after West Ham fans jeered their own side at Hillsborough

It is a great place here and I was always going to enjoy coming but to win is superb.

Peter Reid, victorious with Sunderland on his return to Goodison Park

I wouldn't argue with the result. Sunderland played very well and we are back down to earth with a bump.

Joe Royle, puzzling over where Everton's seven-goal form against Southampton went

It's exciting this relegation football. They said I had no grey hairs but after the last few weeks I reckon I've grown a few.

Tony Parkes, after Blackburn left it late to clinch three vital points

We didn't just miss chances, we spurned the opportunity to create them.

Frank Clark after Forest's eighth defeat in 15 games

Take a bow

IAN WALLACE

The former Nottingham Forest striker must have inherited some of Brian Clough's magic. Now a newsagent by trade, Wallace took over last month as part-time manager of Dumbarton, who had won only one match in a year. Wallace now boasts a record of three successive wins, topped by Saturday's 4-1 triumph at the leaders, Ayr.

Red card

GRAHAM BARBER & ROGER DILKES

These two Premier League officials can share the award this week, it being impossible to decide whether Barber's sending-off of Tony Adams for falling over Alan Shearer at St James' Park, or Dilkes' dismissal of Ulrich van Gobbel for overbalancing in a tussle with Chris Sutton at Ewood Park, brought the most ill-judged red card award of the season so far.

Rumours...

fact and fiction from the Sunday papers

As the People revealed that Manchester United, valued at pounds 350m, is now officially the world's richest football club, both the Mail on Sunday and News of the World were pinning "exclusive" tags to a predicted pounds 20m bid by United for the Barcelona superstar, Ronaldo. In addition to the fee, the News of the World says, any deal would cost United a staggering pounds 2.5m a year in wages. Failing that - or, perhaps, as well as - United may move for Teddy Sheringham, whom the News of the World says is ready to quit Tottenham after accusing Gerry Francis of lack of ambition. Meanwhile the Express reckons George Weah's departure from Milan may be hastened by a row with fellow striker Marco Simone. And the Emerson story rumbles on - now the Mail on Sunday quotes the Brazilian's wife as saying: "Emerson is definitely joining Barcelona."

Missing person

Pat Nevin (Tranmere)

Almost an automatic choice for the senior side at Prenton Park last season, the former Scottish international has apparently failed to convince manager John Aldridge of his worth this season, making only a handful of first- team appearances despite some bright form in the reserves. At 33, perhaps a career in the media now beckons the bright-minded PFA chairman.

Watch out for...

Chris Casper (Manchester United)

The son of 1960s striker Frank, central defender Chris was part of the England youth side that produced Robbie Fowler, Sol Campbell and Nick Barmby among others and rated an equally bright prospect. Opportunities have been limited at Old Trafford, however, and at 21 he is said to be eager to prove himself elsewhere.

PREMIERSHIP TEAM OF THE WEEK

Ludek Miklosko

WEST HAM

Lee Dixon

ARSENAL

Steve Bould ARSENAL

Paul McGrath DERBY

Dariusz Kubicki

SUNDERLAND

Aljosa Asanovic DERBY COUNTY

Robbie Earle

WIMBLEDON

Lee Sharpe LEEDS

Paul Merson

ARSENAL

Ian Wright

ARSENAL

Brian Deane LEEDS

Good boys

THE PREMIERSHIP'S

LEADING SCORERS

Ian Wright

(Arsenal)

19

Fabrizio Ravanelli

(Middlesbrough)

16

Robbie Fowler

(Liverpool)

Premiership 5; Coca-Cola Cup 5; Europe 3.

13

Les Ferdinand

(Newcastle)

11

Alan Shearer

(Newcastle)

11

Saturday, 1 December, 1962: a date of no more than average significance at the time. It would not remain so. Some 16 months later - on 12 April, 1964 - under the most sensational sports headlines of the century, it was renamed by the Sunday People as the "Day of Infamy for British Soccer".

This, according to the People, was the day on which three Sheffield Wednesday footballers, Peter Swan, David Layne and Tony Kay, rigged a First Division match against Ipswich Town to facilitate a betting coup. Each made pounds 100 on the result; their paymasters, betting also on games in the lower divisions, collected much more.

It was easy money. Ipswich won 2-0 but had been in such good form that they would probably have beaten Wednesday in any event and the Sheffield trio had no need to arouse suspicion.

All was revealed by the People's investigator, Mike Gabbert, whose doggedness uncovered a scandal that went much deeper than just one match. The headlines sparked an investigation by the police and football authorities that resulted in jail sentences and life bans for 10 players.

Today, both Swan and Layne are publicans in the Sheffield area. Kay, who sacrificed his England career, is based in London and has been advising the BBC in producing a drama based on the story.

THE SEASON'S RED AND YELLOW CARDS

1 Arsenal

Three cautions in three games for Lee Dixon

2 Chelsea

Three more yellows in yesterday's match at Elland Road

3 Leeds

Four bookings against Chelsea

4 Middlesbrough

Third yellow in four matches for Neil Cox