Football supporters can happily walk around in a replica of their favourite teams shirt - or even personalise it with a name and number on the back so that their support of a favourite player can be displayed to the world.

Supporters of other similar sports, such as rugby, can do the same thing but there are some sports which make this incredibly difficult.

Golfing fans can only really get away with wearing a shirt like Tiger Woods may wear out on the golf course unlike a footy fan who can wear his Manchester United shirt every minute of every day if he wants to.  With Wimbledon just gone, how many replica Nike shirts have been worn around the streets with people showing support for Federer or Nadal?  Not many I would bet.

DC appears to like dropping hints about his plans without giving the whole game away.

His press conference following an unexpected podium in Canada sounded awfully like a farewell speech of sorts although this was denied at the time, however it has subsequently turned out to be just that.

Now when asked about his future outside of being an F1 driver in an exclusive interview with formula1.com, he has stated that a life in the media may lie ahead :

Also on the side of the media, I can contribute a lot, as I have the knowledge of what its like inside a team.

The News of the World reported at the weekend in amongst it’s British GP preview that DC isto become a father after the end of the season.

I’ve not heard this or read it anywhere else, so I’m not 100% certain that it’s correct!  There are quotes from the man himself saying how pleased he is,but that this was not the reason behind his retirement.

As Max Mosley would protest, the News of the World is perhaps not the most reliable of sources, and it’s unusual that it’s sister paper, The Sun hasn’t mentioned the story ths week - to my knowledge anyway.

I said yesterday that I hoped Coulthard would continue for one more year just so that I could go and see him race one more time, but my appeal fell on deaf ears as today he announced his retirement as from the end of the year.

Gutted that I didn’t get Silverstone tickets now, but with the new house etc something had to give and unfortunately that was what was cut back!

It was from a purely selfish viewpoint that I hoped he would continue anyway, and I can understand him wanting to get out before he is forced to - who knows, perhaps he would have been pushed anyway as plenty of people seem to think he is too old and accident-prone.

Hmm, last post was on 18th June 2008 - almost a month ago, and I feel a bit ashamed at the lack of action!

Don’t really have any excuses either other than the fact I’ve just been lazy of late.  Well, we did eventually move house, but I can’t blame that for almost four weeks inactivity.

So what’s happened in the intervening period?  Well, for a start the spacebar on my laptop appears to be about to give up the ghost so apologies for any words running into each other - I think I’ve caught any so far, but some may slip through.  Pennies are tight so this thing has to last me a few years yet!