Talking Sport: Strange days for football world

Inevitably there have been the usual demands for the culprits to be banned for life as if that was a punishment.

These clowns can simply go to other clubs or even other sports. Their choices are endless and the prospect of not having to pay upwards of 50 quid to watch a mediocre team is almost a bonus.

If they’re taken to court, cynics will say with some justification that nowt will happen to them.

Can anyone say what happened to Widnes RL fans who charged onto the pitch seeking trouble at Leigh after last year’s cup semi-final?

Trouble makers could be ordered to report to their local police station - if they can find one open - on match days and made to clean the premises. The problem is there might not be room for them all.

The answer to seat throwers is either revert to the old terraces or have them report to a wrecker’s yard on a weekend for a few hours’ work.

There are always people ready to make excuses.

The train mob were only a tiny minority. Anyone who has been in a railway carriage with a ‘tiny minority’ of four noisy, foul-mouth, drunken louts will confirm that it makes for a very unpleasant journey.

Well done to those who threw the Stamford Bridge four off the train at Stoke, when they were causing bother on their way back to Manchester.

Villa’s Fabian Delph was bitten by an enthusiastic fan, who was apparently trying to kiss him. I’m no expert but I’ve never bitten anybody I was trying to kiss.

Perhaps the bloke thought: ‘I’m so excited I’ll bite Fabian.’

There’s also the fact that none of the four cup ties were played on Saturday at 3pm. Reading supporters had to be up at sparrow’s cough to get to Bradford for a 12.45pm start.

The teams have to replay on a Monday because later in the week would clash with the Champions League.

It’s hard to see a Barcelona fan preferring to watch Reading against Bradford rather than his side play Man City but you never know.

At least Bradford Bulls fans can be up at a reasonable time to see their heroes play at Batley on Sunday, the first time the clubs have met in the league for many years.

Older followers can remember when the likes of Ernest Ward and Frank Whitcombe attracted thousands to The Mount.

England’s gallant cricketers went down to a narrow defeat by Bangladesh, ending their World Cup prospects.

It’s hard to believe lads who were brought up on 50-over cricket can’t play the game.

There’s been one boost, we haven’t seen anything of the awful Barmy Army.