Christmas shoppers suffered a rude awakening yesterday when former Republic of Ireland and Middlesbrough striker Bernie Slaven bared his backside in public as part of bizarre bet following Middlesbrough's shock 3-2 victory at Manchester United on Saturday.
The 38-year-old, who now covers the club for Boro TV, attracted a crowd of 2,000 as he went through with his vow to show his behind in the window of town department store Binns if Bryan Robson's side achieved their first win at Manchester United in 68 years at the weekend.
Slaven said: "It's 68 years since we beat them last, so I thought it was pretty safe. The old Middlesborough saying is to flash your backside in Binns window, and I've been held to it. I went ahead with that today, and that kills the saying now."
Slaven hinted that there could be an even more explicit display should they win the Premiership title in May. "That's a one-off - it will not happen again," he said. "But maybe there'll but a full-frontal if we win the league."
The privileged position Britain has enjoyed in the world game for more than 50 years may be lost in the wake of the cash-for-votes scandal at the English FA. Since 1946 the four home countries have had the right to nominate a FIFA vice-president, giving them a uniquely strong position on the executive committee of world football's governing body.
But three members of the executive committee have told the Northern Ireland FA president Jim Boyce that a motion calling for the end to the right will be debated at FIFA's special congress in Los Angeles on July 9th.
Neil Ruddock and Trevor Sinclair will appear in court in Romford today in connection with an incident involving a woman motorist's car during West Ham's Christmas party on Sunday. Ruddock (30) has been charged with affray and Sinclair (25) with criminal damage. West Ham's manager Harry Redknapp said: "If it is right that the players have misbehaved, you can be sure we will read them the riot act."
Liverpool's attempts to sign the Cameroon defender Rigobert Song are in danger of collapse. Song's Italian club Salernitana want more than £3 million, while Liverpool are offering around £2 million.
Paolo Di Canio has appealed to the Premier League against Sheffield Wednesday's decision to suspend him without pay for two weeks for failing to return from Italy after being allowed home in order to bring his wife and baby daughter back to England.
Zinedine Zidane was yesterday named the European footballer of the year for an eventful 1998 which saw him help France win the World Cup.
The 26-year-old midfielder, who scored with two headers in the 3-0 World Cup final victory over Brazil in July, was the fourth Frenchman to win the award after Real Madrid's Raymond Kopa in 1958, Juventus' Michel Platini from 1983 to 1985 and Marseille's Jean-Pierre Papin in 1991.
