Fan with Typewriter

Some football reporters bridle at the suggestion that they are no more than 'fans with typewriters' and would no more look for an autograph from a well-known player or manager than a political reporter would seek a signed napkin from the Prime Minister.

Nice, then, to see BBC Scotland's Chick Young, in his blog last week, previewing the friendly football match between Scotland and Brazil that took place on Sunday, in full confessional mode.

As he writes, about meeting the legendary Pele: “I was a blubbering idiot… (Yes, yes I hear the 'no change there' comments from here) I even wasted about five minutes of the interview time getting a Brazil top – Romario's as it happens – personally autographed. And – cringe – I presented him with a tartan scarf. But at least it was cashmere.”