Two of us riding nowhere, spending someone's, hard earned pay.

News broke this week that Mike Lewis, and his most recent associate, John Russell, a former chairman of Scarborough, were in negotiations with Lincoln City to rescue the club from almost certain administration and the strong possibility of liquidation following shortly afterwards. Their interest in Lincoln seems to have arisen following the breakdown of similar negotiations at Exeter, where the pair had put forward proposals but talks with Exeter chairman, Ivor Doble, fell through. Lewis was quoted in the local Exeter press as saying, "We have been messed around totally to the point of frustration", and claimed that the pair had acceded to every request put to them by the Exeter club, including it would seem the one for them to close the door on the way out.

Rumours around the takeover/investment bid were frighteningly familiar, and the terms did lead to strong speculation that Colin Addison (familiar to both parties from previous associations) would have been installed as manager. Whether this was also within the proposed deal at Lincoln may never be known, as they were given 'how to get home' directions quite early on in negotiations after the Lincoln chairman decided that the proposals put forward were not acceptable.

It is somewhat frightening that despite many representations made by Swans fans to the Football League some months ago, by letter and telephone call, the question and whole issue of club ownership remains in a parlous state.

Football has enough financial problems at present, and an absence of a track record reference system means that clubs will remain vulnerable to all sorts of predators. It is about time that information on certain individuals started to reach clubs before their calls and proposals do, then maybe clubs will have some comfort that takeover plans are for the good of the club and not just the individuals proposing them.

It's been a blue blue day; I feel like running away, I feel like running away from it all…

Anyone working with a C*rd*ff fan will recognise the sentiments in these lyrics. Hard going to get a smile out of them today wasn't it? Without going on too much about last night, once again the result became of secondary importance to the trouble that happened during and after the game. Rhodri Morgan was heard interviewed on the radio yesterday asking fans to 'do the Ayatollah' or do a Mexican wave or whatever it took to make sure the team won. Well, actually it was goals they needed, as no team has yet been promoted for performing the best Ayatollah, although that would seem as fair to me as a 7th placed team getting promoted ahead of a 4th placed team in any division.

I have heard no mention from the National Assembly today (they may have commented - just saying I haven't heard anything) about the trouble at Ninian Park. A colleague in work with me is convinced that the media have CCFC in their sights and that anything that happens there is exaggerated beyond recognition. When will they realise the image that this is painting of the city and more importantly, the Welsh people?

Why is it that the First Minister (seen performing the Ayatollah himself in the past it should be said) is so interested and concerned at the damage being inflicted onto the Welsh tradition by a poor National Rugby Team's results? He will no doubt be extremely disappointed at the capital's failure to secure promotion to the first division, but seems far less concerned with the undercurrent of hooliganism that surrounds the club. Furthermore, why did he appear to have absolutely no interest at all in the fact that the Principality's second largest city almost lost it's football club, and one third of the Welsh representation in the Nationwide League. We have such a fight on our hands with everything. Oh by the way, maybe if we want the Morfa completed quickly we should start to invite notable people to our matches. Mr Kinnock was at Ninian Park last night, as a genuine spectator of course, and I understand that Sam H didn't mention his stadium plans at any time during the evening…………now what a wasted opportunity that was eh?

Let me entertain you

. This is my fourteenth column, and somewhere along the way I would have expected a bit of abuse, or cries of 'boring' or some sort of reaction. But…. nothing. Recent postings on the Guestbook have suggested the regular columns are smacked with self-indulgence, and are becoming tiresome. Well……….we were all invited to contribute, were pleased to be asked, we do them for fun, it's something we enjoy, we express opinions or just comment on recent events; indulging in something we enjoy - that's self indulgent, absolutely right. Footballers generally do it because they enjoy it, have fun, as do guitarists, songwriters, authors, comedians, actors, and anyone who isn't trapped in a mundane and routine work existence. Every one of them is self-indulgent. Maybe that wasn't what was meant at all.

If anyone has any feedback to give me, I'd love to hear from you at pauly@scfc.co.uk