Duncan, more for the book here. I like to think that this section will give some insight into the kind of innovative tactics and out of the box thinking that have got me where I am today, oh, and there’s a bit on Shepherd going as well. Of course what with Celtic, Juventus and now Sampdoria taken care of that’s practically a Champions League qualifying group, bet that lot at the FA are wishing they’d given me the England gig now. Anyway, had another thought on the title: ‘A footballing renaissance, how Big Sam brought glamour back to the beautiful game’ – what do you think?

It didn’t take me long to work out that the new regime wasn’t like the old one. They kept holding meetings in odd places for a start. The day he told me Shepherd was out Mort had arranged to meet me at a building site in Walkergate. As I arrived he was watching some concrete being poured, an oddly satisfied look on his face

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Where a perturbing new age of inflation dawns on English football, our domestic league stretches into its 120th year. Things have changed since 1888; Preston North End were the team to beat back then. Dubbed the “invincibles”, Preston won the first two leagues, and won the FA Cup of ’88 without conceding a goal and won the league without losing a game. Their star man, John Goodall, was kidnapped from his previous club, gagged, and blue knickers and a white shirt were forced on him. English footy’s come quite a way since then.

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