Cottage industry

Apparently Roman Abramovich has coughed up £578 million on Chelsea since July 2003 when he arrived with his sacks of cash - low denomination, non-consecutive numbers and all that - which must be the most expensive season ticket of all time.

These days it tends of be hard-headed businessmen and investment vehicles after a profit who are moving in to take advantage of Murdoch's millions swilling around the bilges of the Premiership.

It is a long cry from the good old days when it was a long held view that anyone who wanted to own and run a football club had to be as rich as Croesus or mad as a hatter or preferably both.

How are Fulham going on these days by the way?