Brunt's mystery

There's been some funny goings-on down at Team Albion this week.

I arrived at the training ground for my Monday morning briefing with Tony Mowbray to be informed that someone had removed the number plates from Chris Brunt's 4x4, which had been parked in the Albion car park.

Sure enough they had. A big shiny gap on each bumper.

Which means one of two things. Either someone's pinched a similar car to Brunt's from an Audi showroom and plonked it at the Albion training ground. Or someone has been busy with a screwdriver.

As is usual in such cases, the finger of blame is pointing somewhere in Jonathan Greening's direction.

Yet the Albion captain gave an impassioned defence, denying everything..

"I wondered what was going on because I came in the other day and the car park was empty but I walked past his car and I was thinking 'whose Audi is that with no plates on?'

"It has nothing to do with me.

"I know everyone is pointing the finger at me but that is what happens when you get a reputation."

So there you have it. Jono is innocent. Or is he.

There is another likely suspect. By coincidence Roman Bednar was telling everyone who would listen that he was heading to San Marino after being supposedly called into the Czech Republic squad. Likely story. Wouldn't have been surprised to learn that there were two DVLA-regulation bits of plastic lying next to the Deep Heat and '101 Dressing Room Pranks' guidebook in his Italy-bound luggage.

In the meantime, the car remains stuck in no-man's land.

So don't be alarmed to see a Northern Irish-looking footballer thumbing a lift and holding a bit of cardboard with 'Streetly' scribbled on it next time you're in the Great Barr/Walsall area. It won't be a Chris Brunt lookalike.

This saga could run and run.