Groan of the week

We don't mean to be cynical or anything, but

We don't mean to be cynical or anything, but. Last week Newcastle part-time club Dunston Federation received an anonymous donation of £1,000 to help them pay for their 900-mile round trip to St Blazey, Cornwall, for their FA Vase cup tie. Anonymous? Well, yes, because Paul Gascoigne insisted he didn't want any publicity when he made the donation. And he didn't get any until Tuesday when a friend of his told the local press that "Gazza didn't want this to leak out, but plenty of people know he is behind the gift". (How did the friend know this?) The club are hopeful that Gazza will make another donation to fund their quarter-final tie against Lymington and New Milton. Anonymously of course.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times