'King Kev...

I don't write about football much. I like it - I like playing, watching and reading about it. But I'm not obsessed. I go off it for long periods of time - and the last time was when my beloved Charlton got relegated and then acted like arses (disbanding the very successful women's team - although later forced to reinstate it when a furious backlash erupted - and selling players there was no need to sell). But international tournaments always, always reinstate my love of the game.

Even this transfer window has been fascinating. Not because of Charlton pulling in some very decent players, but because of the big cheeses fighting over mega-rich, easily-bruised ball-kickers. The Berbatov thing, I grant you, was interminable - until Man City livened it up by threatening to gazump their deadliest rivals for the player.

But what dismays me most is Newcastle. I have a slight soft spot for the Toon - I have friends who love the club to bits, and I can understand why. For me, they're a bigger version of Charlton - always promising but never quite getting there. I say like Charlton - more like Charlton with Ken Dodd as financial adviser...

But today's sacking of Kevin Keegan... I'm speechless. Mike Ashley obviously isn't the saviour fans thought he was. Sure he brought King Kev back, and it was so much better for the premiership as a whole that he did - the Toon improved steadily after he arrived and haven't looked half bad at the start of this season. But after all that, he gave the footballing genius that is Denis Wise control over transfers.

It was always going to end up a choice between a legend and a small, mediocre yob.

How do you manage to get that choice wrong?

Ask Ashley. Bloody hell.