Brooking's late tackle may cost knight cap

Inside lines

For someone who never saw red on the football field Trevor Brooking has come in with a late tackle which, sadly, may have cost him his crowning glory. A knighthood.

Brooking could have anticipated the customary accolade bestowed on all departing chairmen of Sport England but his public attack on the Government last week, and his private demolition of the sports minister, Richard Caborn, when he presided over his final meeting on Monday, surely has torpedoed his chances of becoming Sir Trev. "Welcome minister," greeted Brooking as Caborn arrived. "You've come at a very good time. We were just talking about funding – or the lack of it." He then proceeded skilfully to dissect Government sports policy with what was described to me as "controlled anger". Brooking's broadside contained sentiments with which sport's governing bodies will heartily agree, and for a Government which doffs its cap all too readily to the great god of Soho Square, it seems rather ironic that it should be kicked in the footballs by such an esteemed ex-player. Brooking and this column have not always seen eye to eye on sports political issues, mainly over Wembley, although it was pressure from this quarter which helped bring about his elevation from vice-chairman when the then sports minister Tony Banks was championing Tessa Sanderson. He has proved an excellent chairman, robustly fighting his corner for school and grass roots sport. One hopes his valedictory message will be heeded but, as he inferred to the obvious embarrassment of Caborn and his ministry "minders", this Government does not listen to those who know about sport, they listen to those who think they do, mainly civil servants whose competence on the subject is at best questionable. Well said, sir. Or plain Mister, as the case may now be.

Hardly a knees-up for boxing's noble artist

It is coming up for 40 years since he dumped young Cassius on the seat of his pants but Our 'Enry, now Sir Henry, remains the noblest artist of them all. The enduring popularity of boxing's one and only knight is such that another biography will be on the bookstalls this week. The publishers, BBC World, claim it is "the first ever authorised biography of Britain's greatest boxing hero". Not quite. There was another around 30 years ago, some early copies of which had to be pulped when the late Harry Gibbs, Britain's then leading referee, took legal action over comments about his handling of Cooper's final bout against Joe Bugner. The new tome may not be quite as controversial but it will reveal that Cockney Cooper has Irish ancestry dating back to the potato famine. So at least he has something in common with Muhammad Ali, whose light-skinned mother Odessa's maiden name was O'Grady. Now 68, and recovering from a "bleedin' painful" knee replacement operation, Cooper has become almost as famous for the jab (promoting the flu variety) as his left hook.

That's Edwina, game for a quickie

It is well known that John Major has a great love of cricket but it comes as some surprise to learn that his erstwhile paramour, Edwina Currie, is equally passionate about another sport, and not one played with balls, either. Athletics, as it happens. She happened to be in Manchester at the start of the Commonwealth Games for her radio programme, and chatted away to a few journos who were working for the internal Games news service, informing them that she was particularly drawn to the sprinters because "They've got such nice bums". Actually, we thought it may have been because they tuck their vests into their pants.

The one piece of good news to emerge from the sports political arena is that the Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, has been advised it would not be proper, or practical, for her to take personal charge of UK Sport. Although the idea of direct rule from Westminster is sound enough, sports folk are relieved because, delightful as she is, sadly she knows even less about sport than her predecessor, Chris Smith.

Her recent incursions into the field have been less than auspicious and the other quango, Sport England, for which she is ultimately responsible, is in a mess, without a chairman, a known budget, or perhaps even a future, and with members who literally do not know whether they are coming or going. It would also seem that the Downing Street-inspired sports think-tank, the academically-dominated Performance and Innovation Unit, after lengthy and much-leaked deliberations, will churn out a watered-down report that is a mixture of the obvious, the unrealistic and the unworkable. Somebody blow the whistle.

Gazza is doing his bit for United today. No, not Manchester, not Newcastle, not Leeds, not even Scunthorpe. There's only one United for the lad. Europe United.

Along with Paul Gascoigne, Neville Southall, Liam Brady, Ally McCoist and Gary Mabbut are taking part in a multi-nations Masters tournament at the London Arena to celebrate the expansion of the European Union. The former sports minister Tony Banks, now wannabe London Mayor, will kick it all off at 5pm. As minister, Banks was castigated for suggesting we should play football as Britain. Well, seems he's got his wish. Gazza and co form the first all-British side since the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. Don't tell Sepp Blatter.

insidelines@independent.co.uk

Exit Lines

I'm a right old Mary but I've no respect for this shitty disease. I'm not going to give it any space in my life. Former world motorcycling champion Barry Sheene who is fighting cancer... The one thing I will not do is climb up quickly so I can fall down quickly. Defiant heavyweight boxer Audley Harrison insists he will continue do it his way... Honestly, I would have got bored with winning all the time and tried something else. Former world champion Niki Lauda finds it strange that Michael Schumacher remains a driven man.