Question and Answer: Platform for your sporting queries

Q. Following the recent coverage of the Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, the 15-year-old with the size 16 feet, can anyone suggest any other successful sportsmen or sportswomen with similarly outsized feet?

A. I cannot think of any "big-booted" footballers, but surely Michael Owen must have the smallest feet of any England international. Apparently he wears size six boots and, rather bizarrely, his boot manufacturers are to market them. Quite a big take-up in the primary school team, but I can't see too many Sunday morning footballers cramming their feet into them.

Adrian Boyes, Cheltenham

Q. Has first-class cricket ever been played later than mid- September in the UK?

A. The year 1991 will take some beating. Essex, that year's champions, played a four-day challenge against the 1990-91 Sheffield Shield winners, Victoria, which was scheduled to finish on 26 September. Rain ruined the match.

D H Donovan, Schull

Q. Can any current footballer beat Dean Saunders' record of 10 clubs during his career?

A. Saunders' record pales into insignificance when measured against the 15 different clubs of the Bradford City goalkeeper Mark Prudhoe. He has also had spells at Sunderland (twice), Hartlepool (twice on loan), Birmingham, Walsall (twice), Doncaster (loan), Sheffield Wednesday (loan), Grimsby (loan), Bristol City (loan), Carlisle, Darlington, Stoke (twice), Peterborough (loan), Liverpool (loan) and York (loan). He has been transferred 18 times in all since 1981. Can any player beat his record of being loaned out nine times?

D Haycock, Bournemouth

ANSWERS PLEASE

Q. In a football match when a team wins 1-0 the goal is commonly referred to as the "winning goal". In a 2-1 victory the second goal for the victors is called the winning goal. In a 3-0 victory, which is the winning goal?

D Stapleton,Wallsend