It's been another one of those weeks for the one they call the Honey Monster.

Away from home

In midweek Richard Dunne made a stunning goal-line clearance during Manchester City's UEFA Cup tie with Polish side Groclin, a contribution that would have seen City through to the next round of the competition if only Nicolas Anelka had been as effective for the English club at the other end of the pitch late on.

Then, yesterday, the Dubliner made a key contribution to the only goal of the game in Middlesbrough's Premiership victory with the Dubliner swiping at Gaizka Mendieta's low cross from the right and turning the ball into the path of team-mate Sun Jihai, who sidefooted home for one of the better own goals of the season so far.

Elsewhere, it's been a good week for Irishmen fighting back from injury around Britain with Paddy Kenny on the mend at Sheffield United and Jason McAteer closing in on first team action again at Sunderland, and there was welcome news, too, for Stephen McPhail and Alan Mahon with Paul Hart and Joe Royle confirming they will attempt to sign the pair for Nottingham Forest and Ipswich respectively when the transfer market opens for business again in January.

Roy Keane, though, might prefer not to dwell on his week with the Corkman rested for United's Champions League game so he would be in better shape for yesterday's Premiership game against Chelsea. Like Dunne, the Irishman made his mark on the proceedings, giving away the decisive penalty.

Chant of a lifetime for fans

British Poet Laureate Andrew Motion has been recruited by Barclaycard to find the English Premiership's Chant Laureate, worth £10,000 to the eventual winner towards the cost of going to games next season.

"In all its many and varied forms, poetry retains an element of chant, of song," said Motion, "It's an essential part of its primitive appeal and pleasure."

Early contenders for the title may include the author of this tribute to Southampton's Anders Svensson, (sung to the tune of The Flintstones theme): "Anders, Anders Svensson, He's Southampton's Swedish football star, From the team of Elfsborg, He's as solid as a Volvo car."

Or the United supporter who came up with longstanding favourite (sung to the tune of David Bowie's Rebel Rebel): "Neville, Neville, they're in defence, Neville, Neville , their future's immense. Neville, Neville, they ain't half bad, Neville Neville, the name of their dad," may also be in with a shout (so to speak)

But the decision to limit the competition to top flight English sides means no place for Dundee supporters' warm-hearted greeting to fans of both Old Firm clubs (this one is to the tune of You are My Sunshine): "You are a weegie. A smelly weegie. You're only happy on giro day. Your mum's a stealer. Your dad's a dealer. Please don't take my hubcaps away." Now where's the justice in that?

Quotes of the Week

"Even when we're sitting out at the pool we're talking about this and that, you don't switch off just because the weather is beautiful and the camels have two humps . . . it's 24 hours."

- Ireland under-20 manager Gerry Smith refuses to be distracted from the work in hand by the charms of Al-Ain.

"I saw Mariana in a restaurant, we started talking, and, well, such a feeling of love one can only dream about. She is optimistic and intelligent. And she's a stunner."

- Former Germany skipper Lothar Matthaüs on falling in love again.

"At home I am a family man. I don't cheat on my wife and I am an honest person. When I am playing football it's different."

- Mauricio Taricco on why he doesn't let Mrs Taricco watch him at work.

"Delgado comes alive every two years or so."

- Southampton boss Gordon Strachan pays tribute to midfielder Agustin Delgado.

"Furlong will be back at training on Monday, hopefully with a new haircut. I don't like the barnet he has at the moment, and I've told him so."

- QPR manager Ian Holloway lays down the law to former Chelsea striker Paul Furlong.

"Chelsea were so close to administration and the guy has come along like Cinderella and transformed it."

- Frank McLintock on the fairytale turnaround at Stamford Bridge.

"The ref's a spastic. He was very weak and very poor and he and his linesmen were determined to make Ipswich win."

- Sheffield United midfield local boy Jack Lester makes the sort of assessment of match officials that, amazingly, we don't hear too often any more.

Blue blood accepts red cell-out

Supporters of Manchester's two main clubs take their football rivalry seriously and so it should be no surprise that when Paul Warburton needed a stem-cell transplant as part of the treatment he was undergoing for leukaemia his brother Martin readily agreed to act as a donor - as long as Paul switched from supporting City to United.

Martin, in fact, made his brother agree to a number of conditions before the "deal" was agreed with Paul also obliged to change the colour of some of the decorations in his house, only use blue rags for cleaning up dirt and join United's supporters association.

It was a price, not surprisingly, Paul felt was worth paying although he insisted he had "reservations".

"I was really lucky that Martin's cells matched, as some people can have seven or eight siblings and find that none of them matches up," he told the Daily Telegraph. "But he had to be a Reds supporter, didn't he?!" And where did all this wheeling and dealing take place? Why, Belfast of course.

Trigger a bit slow on the draw

Many fans already have a favourite "Trigger" story but Jason McAteer could probably do without Sunderland's official website adding to the collection as it did last week when it carried news of his contribution to a charity sports quiz.

McAteer was captaining a team made up of Irish players in the competition which included a "Who Are Ya?" round in which three clues, each one easier than the one before, were given to identify a player.

This, as reported by the Sunderland website, was how question six went for the Ireland team:

Clue one for five points: "Born in 1971, I was 24 when I joined my boyhood heroes."

Answer: "Dunno".

Clue two for three points: "I've played for and captained my adopted country - always striving to win. In fact, you could say "Wyn" is my middle name."

Answer: "Dunno".

Clue three for one point: "My friends all call me Trigger.

Answer (from McAteer): "Me!"

Luis tongue a problem

Luis Fabiano, reportedly a target for Manchester United, has been seeing a behavioural therapist since attacking Rodolfo of Fluminese during a game and then, rather frankly, telling the media "I was just trying to protect the ball. But he is gay and went down like a homo".

He is, he says now, "happy with the therapy," and intent on, "conquering this problem". We like to think he means the homophobia but he may simply be receiving lessons on how not to be quite so open with the press.