Friday gossip

Fri 21 Oct 2011, 8:50AM
Posted by Peter Ferguson

Wow, 1-0! What a derby scoop for the Mail! They've only signed up the greatest player ever. Pele? Maradona? No, they've gone right to the top and landed, er, Roy of the Rovers.


For younger readers, back in the day before they invented electricity and apple was something you ate, boys - and some girls - devoured tales of the fictional footballer in Tiger comic.

Today he returns in a novel take on the big game. As the headline says: "Roy of the Rovers ... at the Manchester derby! Sportsmail brings back the comic book hero in a specially commissioned story."

Some of the likenesses in the two-page spread - drawn by Barrie Mitchell, scripted by Ian Rimmer - would make Madame Tussaud's uneasy, but it's still a cracking little tale and a nice idea.

City's scorers are Aguero and Dzeko, and honours are even. It's not quite Call of Duty, but it probably beats making a model of Wembley Stadium out of cardboard boxes and Fairy Liquid bottles.

Back to reality with The Independent, where they like to make lists. So they present the greatest 13 Manchester derbies, ever. Why 13? Who knows. Answers on a postcard to Blue Peter.



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Plenty in there for the nostalgic, as well as recent epic meetings such as the FA Cup semi-final, and City fans can wallow and wince in equal measure





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There's the famous 1974 1-0 at Old Trafford, of course, which found the king, Denis Law, scoring the winner against his old subjects - it's a myth that his backheel sent them down, by the way.

You'll also find the 5-1 in September 1989, when "United were ripped apart by the likes of Trevor Morley and David White", clearly written by someone who never saw those heroes in their pomp.

Other great derbies are available, of course, some with less enjoyment for Blues included ...

And lest we forget as the big day approaches, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger offers a gentle reminder that nobody wins the title before the end of October, except for Leeds Rhinos.

He tells footylatest.com: "Yes, of course they are the teams to catch. They have had good starts and have strong squads. You do not expect them to drop too many points.

“But it’s very early to call Sunday’s game a decider and it’s amazing how quick people make conclusions. Let’s not forget we have played eight games and we have 30 to go.

“It will be an interesting game to watch but whatever happens in this game, the championship is still open. For everybody else in the Premier League the most interesting result would be a draw.”

Arsene, you've had a cheeky peek at Roy of the Rovers, haven't you?