Manchester United are probably one of the best known football clubs in the world - this is mainly due to the fact that they are one of the richest and most successful.

Of course they aren’t the only football team in Manchester, with Manchester City also playing in the Barclays Premiership - so why are they less well known than their neighbours?

Well, mainly due to luck and money I would think but they haven’t ended a season at the top of the table since 1967/68 and of course it’s trophies which ultimately attract not only the best players and managers but also the financial backing which is critical in progressing the club.

Unbelievable, totally unbelievable!

Sport never fails to surprise me, and today’s FA Cup match between Manchester United and Portsmouth didn’t disappoint on that score.

Both are Premiership teams so I suppose we should have expected a close match, but most would have anticipated a Manchester United victory.  And this is the outcome that was most likely in the early action with the home team having the majority of posession and therefore most of the early chances.  They would rue their inability to take any of them though as the game entered the second half still goalless.

I would imagine the idea for this came about following on the apparent success of the NFL American Football game which was held this year at the new Wembley Stadium in London and seems certain to come back year after year.

American football isn’t very popular here, or in the rest of Europe, despite the introduction of a European competition a few years ago so I could see the point in bringing the game to create interest but is football in the same position?

…not likely!

Or at least, not yet - if he has any sense.

This weekend’s fixture list has thrown up a chance for Newcastle United to learn a lesson.  On Saturday they face Manchester United, a team who have stuck by Sir Alex Ferguson for 22 years - a feat which is pretty much unprecedented.  I read somewhere that in that time Newcastle had gone through 10 managers which is simply ridiculous!

Sir Alex didn’t have a lot of success from the off at Manchester United but they stuck by him and it has paid off big style.