Sporting Miscellanies

Guus Hiddink may have caused a stink with the authorities at Wembley stadium and Brent council with his cigar-chomping antics after last week's FA Cup Final — even a Dutchman should be able to tell you that smoking is illegal at public venues in the UK — but maybe Hiddink was merely trying to mask the nasty niff that has lingered around the national stadium since it opened in 2007. The ground's owners, Wembley Stadium Ltd, are baffled by an unpleasant smell of rotten eggs which pervades certain areas of the complex, although chief suspect is a chemical used by cleaning contractors. Investigations are ongoing but, either way, someone at Chelsea should have a word with Carlo Ancelotti — a chain smoker who used to being able to light up in the dug-out at Milan — before August's Community Shield against Manchester United.

Blues cup bash was lacking in party spirits

Staying with Chelsea, and it seems the recession is biting deep, even at Stamford Bridge. The Blues' post-cup final party was held at one of Frankie Dettori's bars, Frankie's', in west London but while the club covered the cost of beer, wine and champagne, players apparently had to fork out for their own cocktails and spirits.

As if that wasn't a big enough slap in the face for Chelsea's megabucks squad. None of the club's hierarchy who were present made a speech to congratulate them for conquering Watford, Southend, Ipswich, Coventry, Arsenal and Everton. Poor dears.

Obama follows Dubya down the fairways

Barak Obama may have promised a fresh start for the United States after the dawg-days of George W Bush but the new President hasn't abandoned all his predecessor's habits. Obama has apparently enjoyed no fewer than four games of golf at various courses around the States in the past five weeks; a record which puts Dubya to shame.

Obama probably doesn't have any plans to follow Bush's example and invite cameramen to "watch this drive" after waxing lyrical on global terrorism, but do not be surprised to see some pressure exerted on America's more conservative golfing enclaves.

Recent figures from the United States Black Golf Association show that only 6.5 per cent of the country's golfers are African-American, although if having Obama as a cheerleader doesn't change that, nothing will.