Nothing other than goals acceptable

Manchester United v Swansea
Premier League
TIME: 4pm
TV: SKY

Old Trafford farewell to Sir Alex

Forgot the form book – forget everything.

No other result can be contemplated at Old Trafford today bar a win for Sir Alex Ferguson.

That’s what this match is about, not Man U, not Swansea – it’s about Sir Alex Ferguson in his final home game in charge.

1-0 won’t be acceptable now – it might have been before the news this week to put the seal on Man U’s season as Champions again. But now we need and demand fireworks today and for that reason I’m going goals – and lots of them.

Over 2.5 goals is obvious and odds on with Star Sports but needs to be taken as does any offers on Man U’s supremacy.

Can quite easily see them keeping a clean sheet and defying a 2 goal handicap at odds of around 15/8.

SAF will make his final home selection from: De Gea, Lindegaard, Rafael, Smalling, Jones, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Buttner, Valencia, Carrick, Giggs, Anderson, Cleverley, Scholes, Kagawa, Welbeck, Van Persie, Rooney, Hernandez.

It’s a match that will go into the history books and you can demand and expect goals in Swansea’s net.

4,999 runners disqualified…..

We’ve seen it all….

Only one competitor out of 5,000 completes the correct course after Marathon of the North organisers send them the wrong way.

About 5,000 runners have been told they failed to complete a marathon after they took the wrong route due to a marshalling error.

Organisers of the Marathon of the North apologised for the blunder after they realised the route was 264m short of the full distance.

Winner Jake Harrison, of Leicester Tri Club, was the only entrant to run along the correct course and therefore complete the run in Sunderland.

Every single one of the other competitors missed out on running the full length of the marathon or half marathon courses on April 28 because the second and third placed runners were not within sight of the race leader and lead vehicles.

In a statement to Sky Tyne and Wear, race organisers DS Media & Events said: “Regrettably, due to incorrect placing of marshals, which we take full responsibility for, only the lead athlete followed the correct route through the Sheepfold area near the Stadium of Light.

“Unfortunately, the second and third placed runners were not within line of sight of the leader and lead bikes/vehicle.

“This resulted in all those who followed taking an incorrect route through this section.

“Our course measurer has now confirmed that 264 metres were therefore lost from the measured route.

“We are sincerely sorry for any confusion and frustration that this has caused.”

Race-goers reacted angrily, with one tweeting: “Bit gutted!”

Another wrote: “Been thinking about the Marathon of the North debacle. Think it’s an insult to offer 25% off race entry as recompense.

“People train … for months and have had a hard earned achievement taken away from them. Free entry to alternative race is the least they deserve.”

Affected runners have been offered 25% off entry to other events in the hoped the error will not put off future competitors.

Forget the 25% lads. Get an appeal into the BHA at Holborn first thing on Monday.

STAR FORECAST
(stake between 0.5 and 10 points)
8 points OVER 2.5 goals MAN U v SWANSEA
5 points MAN U (-2) handicap market MAN U v SWANSEA

(-8.00 Saturday)

Agree OR disagree? Call Star Sports on 08000 521 321 to place your bet.