Leicestershire was the capital of the 'sport' of foxhunting until the UK  government's bill a couple of years ago saw it banned. The legislation received a less-than-warm reception from foxhunters in our green and pleasant county. This was saved for the football Foxes of Leicester City on Saturday past.

City chairman Milan Mandaric, to his credit, has provided funding for new players of a 'steady' Premier League standard and experience alongside a wage structure to match for manager Martin Allen.

The visitors, Blackpool, fresh from Division One, came along with former Leicester City favourite and all-round 'good egg' Simon (Larry) Grayson at the helm. The visitors rode their luck, worked hard and 'nicked' a latish winner, keeping the ball in play while City's James Chambers lay injured, much to the distaste of the jeering  home fans.

'A team cannot claim a divine right to victory because they are a fancied promotion side, playing in front of 26,000 home fans in a new stadium, with players on up to £18,000 a week, can it?''


Now, for Foxes fans up to the age of 50, this would be deemed no big surprise. In fact, Leicester City last won an opening league game some years before the American flag was placed on the moon !

Fair play to the Tangerines, a team cannot claim a divine right to victory because they are a fancied promotion side, playing in front of 26,000 home fans in a new stadium, with players on up to £18,000 a week, can it? Blackpool emulated the Colchester side of last year, showing a work ethic and togetherness in an adrenalin-enhanced performance very similar to that of the U's. Ask any manager who took a side to Layer Road last season - for any gambler it was a home banker on the fixed-odds coupon.

Leicester huffed and puffed trying to impress the owner, fans and media alike to little effect with 'free transfer and available' Mark De Vries seeing two efforts come back off the woodwork. In their haste to get the ball forward, the Foxes' passing was often scrappy, but disturbingly the midfield were outfought, outpassed and at times frighteningly outclassed.

The glory days and the value of a strong, talented midfield was highlighted by  Muzzy Izzet, Neil Lennon and Robbie Savage in the Martin O'Neill era, but they are as far away as that last opening-day victory and the moon!.The Leicester fans rallied with their version of  "Milan is a Leicester fan". And he might well be, but how long he will be an Allen fan remains to be seen.

Allen is known for his craving of  wacky publicity, his latest, encouraging professionals to inspect the toilets at the training ground to see how 'the other half' live. Commendable, 'Mad-Dog', but having the cleanest men's room and being in the bottom half of the Championship? I don't think so, mate!

Milan is not renowned for his patience, or being upstaged come to that. And why not? It's his money. Mad-Dog needs a couple of quick winning results; performances are nice but don't matter in the Championship - and if Allen realises this sharpish, he may well keep himself off  a beach sunbathing in the very near future.

Rumours in football are rife and could be considered the 'life blood'  at times in keeping the interest of fans alive. Rumour has it that Mandaric does not quite see eye to eye with Mad-Dog and should it come to it, my money will be on Milan, just as it was when Colchester were playing at home last year.