“YES, I fear you’re absolutely right,” I answer, when people ask me if I’m mad, as often they do.
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A small confession – I’m a bit of a fan of ITV’s Dancing on Ice, or given the near celebrity-free zone it is this year, more like Dancing on Thin Ice.
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SO, in one of the least shocking results in Liverpool politics for as long as anyone can remember, the council approved plans to move to an elected mayor.
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IT has been quite cold this week, the sort of cold where one has to ensure one has a blanket, a torch, water and chocolate when one is undertaking a journey. Admittedly, this can lead to strange looks on the bus, but I don’t care because I am warm. And I have a torch.
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ONE thing is certain at Old Trafford on Saturday: Luis Suarez will be given a bad reception from the home fans. A very, very bad reception.
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IT WAS almost as though Steven Pienaar had never been away from Everton FC.
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ON BBC Question Time last week I was acutely aware that a couple of months ago I had written about the format revolving around “members of the public providing pre-selected questions that allow the power brokers to pontificate”.
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OK, hands up if you really thought it would happen Saturday?
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THE Football Association were absolutely right to strip John Terry of the England captaincy.
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THERE’S a scene in bonkers comedy movie The Other Guys when Will Ferrell’s meek cop is confronted by long-suffering partner Mark Wahlberg.
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IT IS fast becoming Westminster’s dirty little secret – the tawdry way that controversial legislation is waved through by MPs, with little or no scrutiny.
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THE biannual mad scramble to switch the television over when Jim White appears on Sky Sports News is now at an end.
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HAVE you noticed how newspaper columnists often overhear snippets of conversation which conveniently relate to the topic du jour?
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I AM no financial whiz. To me, stocks are for punishing village rascals, shares are what French people sit on and the FTSE is restaurant-based foreplay.
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THE odds were high-stacked against the listless sun peering through the lottery of clouds on that morning of the young year when I hobbled along the sodden road with a limp in my soul.
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PROPER rugby also returns this week with the start of the new Super League season.
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has backed Harry Redknapp as "the best man" for the England job.
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Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs has signed a one-year contract extension, the club confirmed on Friday.
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Robin McBryde believes Scotland will be encouraged by an impressive Millennium Stadium performance two years ago when they look to stop Wales in their tracks on Sunday.
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Dan Evans insists the Glasgow crowd will see a much more mature player this weekend than the one whose defeat condemned Britain to an ignominious Davis Cup loss in Lithuania two years ago.
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The excitement is building for England hooker James Roby as he prepares to lead St Helens out for Friday night's historic first Stobart Super League match at Langtree Park against Salford.
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England wing David Strettle embodies the inspirational truth behind the quote from legendary American football coach Vince Lombardi: "It's not whether you get knocked down but whether you get up".
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England found themselves needing 230 to win a bizarre match in Abu Dhabi - after bowling the Lions out for 96 in only 28.3 overs.
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Paul O'Connell admits Ireland's failings during their RBS 6 Nations opener against Wales offer a blueprint on how to lose to France.
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Club England managing director Adrian Bevington insists interim England boss Stuart Pearce should not be judged on his brother's political beliefs.
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Guus Hiddink's "strong personal relationship" with ousted captain John Terry could rule him out of contention to be the next England manager.
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The four-man Club England board will sit down on Friday to begin the process of selecting Fabio Capello's successor adamant they will not be railroaded into appointing Harry Redknapp.
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Jade Dernbach took three wickets for two runs as England destroyed the Lions' top order in Friday's one-day international warm-up match at the Zayed Stadium.
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Tiger Woods had six birdies in his round of 68 on the Spyglass Hill course as he made a solid start to his PGA Tour season in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California.
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Lamont Peterson has agreed to a rematch with Amir Khan in Las Vegas in May, the Bolton fighter's camp have said.
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Chris Ashton believes life on the straight and narrow is already paying dividends for England as they prepare to tackle Italy at the Stadio Olimpico.
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Scotland number eight David Denton is determined to outshine Wales counterpart Toby Faletau in the cauldron of the Millennium Stadium on Sunday.
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Andre Villas-Boas remains relaxed about the recent close scrutiny of owner Roman Abramovich at Chelsea's training ground as the Blues boss focuses on making sure his side finish in the top four of the Barclays Premier League - which he accepts is "not a very honourable position for the dimension of this club".
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Former Wales captain Ryan Jones will take the place of banned lock Bradley Davies in Sunday's RBS 6 Nations clash against Millennium Stadium visitors Scotland.
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Keith Earls has been restored at outside centre for Ireland's RBS 6 Nations clash with France in Paris on Saturday night.
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Rory McIlroy had seven birdies in his last 10 holes to finish the opening round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic only three behind Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello.
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Stuart Pearce will take charge of the England team for the friendly against Holland on February 29, Football Association chairman David Bernstein has confirmed.
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Aston Villa have been unsuccessful in their attempt to extend Robbie Keane's loan period and he will return to the Los Angeles Galaxy after the clash at Wigan on February 25, Press Association Sport understands.
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Football Association chairman David Bernstein admits the next England manager will ideally be English or British but must above all be "the best person" available.
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Wolves defender George Elokobi has joined Nottingham Forest on an emergency loan and could stay at the City Ground until the end of the season.
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Stuart Pearce will take charge of the England team for the friendly against Holland on February 29, Football Association chairman David Bernstein has confirmed.
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Rio Ferdinand took a farewell swipe at Fabio Capello on Thursday as he joined Wayne Rooney in endorsing Harry Redknapp as his choice to become England's new manager.
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Harry Redknapp insists he has "not even thought about" becoming the next England manager.
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Chris Robshaw will captain an unchanged England team in Saturday's RBS 6 Nations clash with Italy in Rome's Stadio Olimpico.
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West Brom manager Roy Hodgson believes Wolves counterpart Mick McCarthy has been a victim of his own success ahead of Sunday's Black Country derby at Molineux.
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England paceman Chris Tremlett has had back surgery to address the problem which forced him out of the ongoing series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
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Alan Pardew has ruled himself out of the race to succeed Fabio Capello as England boss.
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Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp welcomed the final whistle on his bung slur "nightmare" on Wednesday after his acquittal for tax fraud cleared the way for him to land English football's top job.
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Sir Keith Mills insists Tottenham will wait to see what develops after seeing their manager Harry Redknapp develop as the hot favourite to be the next England manager.
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Ireland prop Mike Ross accepts his team cannot afford to underperform for a second successive weekend when they meet France on Saturday night.
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Neil Lennon claims the 4-0 thrashing of Hearts at Tynecastle which took his Celtic side four points clear of Rangers at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League was the best performance he had witnessed from his team as Parkhead boss.
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Saracens lock Mouritz Botha has warned his England team-mates not to take Italy lightly as they bid to build on their opening RBS 6 Nations win over Scotland.
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Greig Laidlaw is ready for the responsibility of being Scotland fly-half, beginning in Sunday's RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales.
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Rhys Priestland has revealed Wales' RBS 6 Nations squad have reiterated among themselves the need for watertight discipline in Test matches.
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Martin O'Neill will let the FA Cup take care of itself after seeing Sunderland book a mouth-watering double header against Arsenal.
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Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract and set his objective as keeping the Welsh club in the Barclays Premier League for its duration.
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Wayne Rooney on Wednesday backed Harry Redknapp to be the next England manager following Fabio Capello's dramatic resignation.
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Stephane Sessegnon's extra-time strike secured a 2-1 win over Middlesbrough as Sunderland booked an FA Cup fifth-round clash with Arsenal in dramatic style.
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Fabio Capello has insisted that he will not go into detail on the reasons behind his resignation.
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Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insists now is the time to draw a line under the Luis Suarez affair and move on ahead of this weekend's visit to Old Trafford.
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Jack Wilshere admitted his shock at Fabio Capello's resignation as England manager on Wednesday.
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Fabio Capello has quit as England manager, the Football Association announced on Wednesday night.
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Stephen Ferris will be available for Ireland's RBS 6 Nations clash with France on Saturday after being cleared of tip-tackling Wales lock Ian Evans.
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The Premier League have no plans to cancel the pre-match handshakes ahead of Manchester United's clash with Liverpool on Saturday, when Patrice Evra and Luis Suarez are likely to come face to face again.
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Arsene Wenger remains confident Arsenal have the strength of character needed to force themselves back into the top four of the Barclays Premier League.
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Steven Finn is out to prove a point once more in Abu Dhabi - where he first showed himself to be an England fast bowler of the future.
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Wales lock Bradley Davies will miss the rest of this season's RBS 6 Nations Championship after receiving a seven-week ban.
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Scotland have made two enforced changes for Sunday's RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales in Cardiff, with Greig Laidlaw set to make his first Test start.
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Newcastle have confirmed striker Leon Best is facing several weeks on the sidelines as he recovers from a knee ligament injury.
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Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has been cleared of taking bungs in an offshore tax dodge.
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Wales international Dwayne Peel has signed a new two-year contract with Aviva Premiership club Sale Sharks.
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Fabio Capello and Football Association chairman David Bernstein are expected to meet to try to draw a line under the fall-out from the decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy.
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Aston Villa supporters are being urged to attend a proposed pre-match protest against manager Alex McLeish ahead of Sunday's home clash with Manchester City.
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Australian second row forward Brett Delaney has signed a three-year contract extension with Leeds Rhinos.
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Andy Flower can be in no doubt he has a major challenge on his hands, to arrest England's decline in the desert, but he is nonetheless relishing the opportunity.
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Blackpool boss Ian Holloway has challenged his side to go to Everton and cause a shock in the FA Cup fifth round.
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Millwall manager Kenny Jackett praised his side's battling qualities after they advanced to the FA Cup fifth round with a 3-2 victory over Southampton at St Mary's.
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Ben Morgan has revealed the punishing training regime that helped turn him from a part-time builder, part-time rugby player into a full England international.
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Andy Murray said he came away from the Australian Open feeling "much more positive" about his game despite failing to reach the final.
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Scotland head coach Andy Robinson paid tribute to the retiring Dan Parks as he signalled his readiness to turn to a new generation of fly-halves in Sunday's RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales.
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Substitute Liam Feeney propelled Millwall into the FA Cup fifth round by netting a superb stoppage-time goal in a 3-2 replay victory at Southampton
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Blackpool earned an FA Cup fifth-round trip to Everton after a scintillating 3-0 demolition of Sheffield Wednesday in their fourth-round replay at Hillsborough.
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Dimitar Berbatov expects to remain at Manchester United beyond this season but has reiterated his disenchantment at his lack of playing time at Old Trafford.
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Alberto Contador has protested his innocence over the two-year doping ban imposed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and insisted he will return to cycling stronger than ever.
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Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has backed Fabio Capello in the row over John Terry being stripped of the England captaincy and insisted the Italian had every right to make his unhappiness known.
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Lennox Lewis has warned David Haye that he could further tarnish his reputation if he comes out of retirement and rushes straight in to a fight with either of the Klitschko brothers.
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Scotland fly-half Dan Parks has retired from international rugby with immediate effect, the Scottish Rugby Union have announced.
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Wales look destined to lose lock Bradley Davies from their RBS 6 Nations plans on Wednesday - but two other World Cup forwards could return for next Sunday's clash against Scotland.
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Stoke have lost their appeal to the Football Association against defender Robert Huth's red card received during Saturday's home clash with Sunderland and the player must now serve a three-game ban.
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Chelsea enjoyed a fitness boost ahead of their Barclays Premier League game at Everton when John Obi Mikel returned to full training after seven weeks on the sidelines.
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France have promoted Imanol Harinordoquy to their starting line-up as one of four changes for Saturday's RBS 6 Nations clash with Ireland.
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Wales lock Bradley Davies and Ireland flanker Stephen Ferris have both been cited for foul play during Sunday's RBS 6 Nations game between the countries in Dublin.
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Attorney General Dominic Grieve has defended his decision not to prosecute footballer Joey Barton for a series of online comments about John Terry ahead of his trial, insisting they would not jeopardise the case.
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Novak Djokovic insisted it was not impossible to win the 'Golden Slam' this season after being named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year.
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Bradley Davies should discover today whether he will be cited for an incident of foul play that could end his RBS 6 Nations season after just one game.
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Rangers chairman Craig Whyte has rejected claims by the BBC concerning evidence he gave in court.
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Edwin van der Sar has told David De Gea he has to "deal with" the pressure of being the Manchester United goalkeeper.
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Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton has undergone minor surgery after being taken ill before the Laureus World Sports Awards.
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Andy Schleck refused to revel in his elevation to 2010 Tour de France champion following the Court of Arbitration's decision to strip Alberto Contador of the crown.
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Sir Alex Ferguson has warned the Football Association that Fabio Capello must remain the most important man connected to the England team.
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