The future's bright?

So, it seems that rumours of the demise of our favourite smooth-legged orange one, Mr Gavin Church, were premature.

Tangoman is not, after all, planning to quit the game to spend more time with his family and his new-found passion for sailing.

The question that many have been asking is "would he have been missed?"

A seriously talented athlete, Mr Church's undoubted vast potential has been somewhat overwhelmed by a succession of injuries, a penchant for living his life between the covers of OK Magazine and an obvious inability to hold his ale. When you chuck in the fact that he appeared to have nothing but contempt for his peers and team mates (as evidenced by his 2005 autobiography), I doubt too many in the game would have been saddened by his his retirement - certainly not this side of the Severn.

So now I suppose we wait until the next lurid headline.

Mr Cipriani please take note...