International News -

Valladolid 3 Xerez 1 ( No, the away team is not the Rank Xerox works side but the outfit from Jerez, where the sherry your mum drinks cames from - they just like their ´x´s over here)

So, for anyone pining to know the results in Spain we can bring you news of another startling home victory by the boys from Valladolid. Three goals up at half-time with a depleted side due to injury and accumulating yellows we can only marvel at the team selection by manager Merino that conjured up another 3 points. Pity is all a little too late as they are still 10 pts behind the magical 3rd place, the last of the promotion places. It all spells out another dismal season in the Second Division and dreams of promotion which were so high at Christmas.

Its rumoured that the ´crowd´, numbering a massive 7800, went home reasonably happy after the usual battle to get a thousand cars out of the one-entrance car park and sadly remembering those happy days a few years ago spent among the elite of Spanish football.

Several have been known to put the blame at the feet of the Chairman Senor Saurez who while contemplating their safe First Division Mid-table position in early 2003 dreamed of ´Greater Things´ and hired a new manager in the summer. Relegation, of course, duly followed.

Take note you dreamers.