What to do with Wayne ...

FROM villain to hero - all in a week and a couple of cracking goals for England against Slovakia. Such is the life of Wayne Rooney, enfante terrible of the footballing world.

Rooney answered his critics, following his petulant behaviour in Manchester United's embarrassing and unexpected defeat by Fulham the previous week, with a man-of-the-match award in the stroll in the sun at Wembley.

On Wednesday, when England play Ukraine, Rooney will become the youngest player at 23 to win 50 England caps. That makes him a very special talent and if he can keep his suspect temper under control he was almost certainly beat David Beckham's newly-achieved record of the most caps won by and England outfielder.

But what chance Rooney's career lasting that long? If you believe the views expressed by a certain section of the press last week, Rooney's going to be the next Gazza, hell bent on destruction.  Listen to his England team mates and commentators less prone to such extreme 

fortune telling and it's all about his passion for the game. Take away his aggression and Rooney will be a lesser player, they say.

Rooney's crime against Fulham was more about petulance than aggression. He threw the ball away to get a red card and then punched, rather pathetically,  the corner flag on his way to an early shower. Not quite up with the Eric Cantona catalogue of football misdemeanors. 

Much of Rooney's childish behaviour happens when United, or England for that matter, are not playing well. So frustration is probably part of the cause. However, how much tolerance should we show to someone in such a privileged position, earning millions a year, for kicking a football?

Should his club take more responsibility for his behaviour, not jumping to his defence quite so quickly?  England manager Fabio Capello referred to him as "a crazy man" but that was more a a "crazy ha-ha" rather than "crazy disturbing".  But it would seem that Capello does have the measure of the young man and there's no doubt Rooney is crucial to England's chances of success in next year's World Cup.

In any group of young men, there will always be one or two who step out of line. Rooney is not alone. There are rebels in all forms of sport and more often than not they are the ones who are blessed with the most talent. 

I'm pleased that Rooney will get his 50th cap on Wednesday and I hope he follows his former United colleague, Beckham, and plays for England for 100 games and beyond. 

One thing is sure. If England are to do well in South Africa, Rooney has to be on  form. He's suffered disappointments with injury in previous world cups. He's only got two more tournaments ahead of him. If he wants to make a real impact on world football, his has to keep his temper in check. There will always be indiscretions - but I think Rooney will enjoy a career as long and as successful as David Beckham.

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David Beckham deserves his place in the England squad and his 109th cap. I'm sure there will be a few more to fill the trophy cabinet in one - if not all - of his many residences around the world.

I believe it is wrong to compare him to Bobby Moore. All Beckham can do is to keep fit, keep playing and hope Capello will keep picking him. And when he gets on the field of play, keep delivering - as he did against Slovakia.

At this moment, Beckham deserves his place in the squad. He may never play 90 minutes again with three Lions on his chest but he proved on Saturday he still has much to offer.

Take away his ridiculous showbiz life, perpetuated by his wife, Beckham is a great role model. He keeps himself fit, he's a good family man and is a great ambassador for sport.

Get off his case.

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I'M not a great F1 fan but I usually tune in to see as many of the 17 grand prix that make up the season. 

I don't pretend to understand all the rules changes which has got this year's world championship off to such a fascinating start. A month ago Jason Button didn't have a ride and Lewis Hamilton was looking forward to retaining his title.

One race down at Button gets only his second victory in 150-odd races whilst Hamilton had the unusual experience of starting from 18th on the grid. He still managed to get on the podium, however.

It would seem there's very little difference in the top dozen or so drivers when it comes to driving skills. But there's a great difference in the cars they drive.

Apparently, the McLaren car lacks downforce and it's all to do with the type of diffusers being used. Confused? So am I. But it's added a little bit of spice to the new F1 season. One thing is for sure, Hamilton's not going to get it all his way whilst Button will get the chance to prove there's more to him than his playboy image portrays.

 

Well, it had to happen...

AS a Manchester United supporter (life-long since Munich) - and living 240 miles from Old Trafford - I'm used to being much malinged by other footballing fanatics.

Of course, all Man U fans have been cock-a-hoop this season following a brilliant run of form since Christmas which has got even the less boastful of Reds thinking that Fergie's boys can pick up all five trophies. 

Until Saturday, that is. I think it was back in 1992 that United had four put past them at Old Trafford. No one expected Liverpool to do it, despite heir European form in midweek.

The verbals between Ferguson and Rafa Benitez, and a stupid "I hate Liverpool" statement from Rooney, stoked the game up well before Saturday  so perhaps United were heading for a fall. But 4-1, surely not?

I didn't see the game on Sky. I had to attend a political lunch with my pal Nigel Fortnam, a big Liverpool fan (although it used to be Wolves when he was younger). Neither one of us could believe we were missing the biggest Premier game of the season to listen to a somewhat predictable speech on the European Parliament.

I checked the score on my mobile between courses when Liverpool were leading 2-1. And again after the coffee and speeches were over. Nigel was a surprised as me with the scoreline.

I phoned another friend, John Stamp, a season ticket holder at Old Trafford, who was at the game. "We didn't turn up," he said. "We were beaten by a better team."

I couldn't bring myself to watch Match of the Day, either on Saturday night or Sunday morning, but I have just seen the goals on Match of the Day 2. And yes, Vidic's sending off was deserved. He just couldn't cope with Torres.

United are still in a strong position but having looked at their run-in to the end of the season, it may well not be such a forgone conclusion that we will retain the Premiership. I think they could possibly lose eight points and if that is the case, Liverpool could pip us to the post.

However, I can't see Liverpool winning all their remaining games, despite Benitez's bravad0, and Chelsea are currently going great guns under new manager Guss Hiddink. Although I want United to win it, and let's face they deserve it, I don't think it will be by such a big margin everyone was talking about before Saturday's results.

There's still a lot of football to be played yet and the last few weeks of the season could be much more exciting than we thought.

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DOES anyone take women's cricket seriously? Well, those who play it definitely do, especially the England ladies team who have just got through to the World Cup final.

Ladies cricket has been around for years but gets precious little coverage in the national press. Despite England getting to the final, with a 146-run win over the West Indies, I could find barely a paragraph in the combined sporting pages of the British press.

In this corner of the cricketing world, women's cricket is alive and kicking (or should that be batting?), especially at Cloakham Lawn, home of Axminster Cricket Club, one of the most forward thinking in Devon.

Last season Axminster Ladies more than held their own in the Devon Premier League and they have certainly brought a new dimension - and a sense of fun - to the cricketing life of Cloakham Lawn. This is always much in evidence at the club's annual dinner. 

Not so long ago I got involved in ladies football with the formation of the Lyme Lazers at Lyme Regis Football Club.  At the time, we were trying to get funding for a new ground - the ill-fated Strawberry Field project - and having a women's team was one of those boxes that had to be ticked.

Once the novelty of girls running round in shorts wore off, and the ribald comments extinguished, the Lazers became an integral part of club life. Their attendance at the club dinner for the first time was a memorable occasion, receiving the trophies to sounds of the Spice Girls' hit "It's raining men".

I also remember taking to the women's FA Cup at Crystal Palace and an England international at Fratton Park. Their enthusiasm for the game was infectious.

The Lazers eventually joined the Dorset Women's League which was appallingly administered by Dorset FA, insisting on matching the new teams from smaller towns with the likes of Bournemouth, resulting in unnecessary heavy defeats which all but ruined morale.

The Lazers have now amalgamated with the Axminster girls and play in the Devon League, which is altogether more professional.

Football or cricket, the girls are proving there are few boundaries in sport these days.

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FOOTBALL could be coming home again at last - with England attempting to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Bring it on.

If we pull it off, I want to be there, although I will be well into my seventies by then.

I was 18 when we last staged the World Cup in 1966, a young reporter on the Express & Echo in Exeter. I shall never forget the final as it nearly cost me my job. I skipped a job to watch England's historic victory over Germany. Later that evening I went to the Big Beat dance at the Marine Theatre in Lyme Regis where the continual chant of "In-ger-land In-ger-land" resulted in the band vacating the stage. 

The girls were not amused.

If England were to get to the final again in 2018 or 2022, I doubt very much that I will be raving it up afterwards. More like a cup of cocoa and an early doubt. But I will be just as excited.