At a loss over Sir Rodney

When the plug was pulled on Wembley last month Sir Rodney Walker, the widely acclaimed sports administrator who had been appointed in place of Ken Bates as head of the project, was heard to protest that the decision had come too quickly. He claimed to have lined up some serious support in the City.

When the plug was pulled on Wembley last month Sir Rodney Walker, the widely acclaimed sports administrator who had been appointed in place of Ken Bates as head of the project, was heard to protest that the decision had come too quickly. He claimed to have lined up some serious support in the City.

His protest, though, carried little weight, surprisingly so in that Sir Rodney has headed more sporting committees than Imelda Marcos has had shoes in her wardrobe.

Not all those who have worked with him are in awe of his ability to move and shake, however. As chairman of the British Rugby League, and overlord of that sport's quaintly disastrous World Cup last year, he has certainly not been a conspicuous success. An interesting example of his operating style is a memo he fired off in reply to criticism of the Rugby League's administration and the costs it was accumulating in the organisation of the World Cup.

Imperiously, Sir Rodney wrote on 28 October 1999: "I am dictating this memo from New Zealand following a highly productive meeting of the Rugby League International Federation. A presentation on the plans for next year's World Cup was endorsed by unanimous acclamation. This competition will produce a net financial benefit to the British game of around £1m and a benefit to the game worldwide projected to be £4m."

In fact the accounts of the tournament are yet to be published, but far from rubbing its hands at the prospect of a £1m windfall, the Rugby League is anticipating a loss of between £500,000 and £1m. It is now bracing itself to cover the shortfall, perhaps, ironically enough, by the imposition of a levy on the cost of tickets for future internationals.

One day, we are told, we will get back our national stadium. But is Sir Rodney really the man to deliver it? Up North, some are far from sure.