On The Inside

John Magnier and JP McManus are preparing to take a greater interest in the running of Manchester United by seeking representation on the club's PLC board.
The Irish businessmen, who own 28.89 per cent of Old Trafford through their Cubic Expression investment company, hold the key to Malcolm Glazer's hopes of seizing control of Old Trafford.
But according to sources, the Irish entrepreneurs have no plans to reduce their hold on the club. Instead they want more influence over United's affairs.
They will request one or two seats on the club's board ahead of the annual general meeting on 12 November.
Relations with the club have thawed following the bitter row earlier this year over corporate-governance and financial-transparency and the legal row between Magnier and Sir Alex Ferguson over the breeding rights to Rock of Gibraltar.
Two Cubic representatives, John Power and Eddie Irwin, have been building links with United chief executive David Gill and were guests at the club's Premiership match against Liverpool two weeks ago.
It is possible Cubic will ask Power and Irwin to become non executive directors at United.
All of which means that even if Glazer finds the money to follow up his preliminary offer, announced yesterday, the Irish entrepreneurs may not be interested in relinquishing their controlling stake.

Scots in need of charming

Scotland has been targeted for an Olympic charm offensive amid fears that London's bid for the 2012 Games could be undermined by indifference north of the border. The International Olympic Committee carry out detailed polling of each country bidding to stage the event, but despite encouraging levels of support in the capital the overall picture is being distorted by the Scots, who are yet to be convinced of the project's benefits.

Beeb to miss out again

Traditionalists hoping to see Test match cricket return to the BBC next summer look set to be disappointed. The England and Wales Cricket Board meet this week to discuss tenders, submitted last Friday, for a new three-year TV deal starting next summer.
Despite initial interest from the BBC, the contract looks set to stay with Channel Four and BSkyB who first seized the rights from the BBC in a deal worth £103m in 1999.
It is not clear whether the BBC even submitted an offer for the rights, which cover England's home Test matches and one-day internationals. Peter Salmon, the BBC's director of sport, feared the broadcaster would not be able to commit sufficient time to Michael Vaughan's resurgent side.

Moody snaps at minister

Will Greenwood's reflections on that glorious World Cup winning night in Sydney last November include a less than polite description of the welcome Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell received in the dressing room after Jonny Wilkinson's last-gasp drop goal. Lewis Moody spotted the Labour MP trying to get in on the victory pictures and, according to Greenwood's autobiography, said: "Look, sweetheart, I don't know who you are, but can you f*** off? Can't you see we're having our picture taken." A spokesman for the Secretary of State refused to be drawn on what exactly happened in the bowels of the Telstra Stadium, but firmly points out that Jowell had been formally invited by a senior official from the Rugby Football Union. One hates to think what reception she would have received if she hadn't been invited.

Football's lucky ticket

Sport England's already dwindling lottery pot will be hit further by the Government's latest commitment to grass-roots football charity, the Football Foundation. Instead of being paid out of taxpayers' money, £25million of the £45m promised by ministers over the next three years is to come from the sports lottery fund, which stands at £164m a year, down from £200m in 2000. The rest of the £135m a year pledged to the Foundation at last week's Labour Party Conference will come from the FA and the Premier League, who have both set aside £45m up until 2007.