WHEN I was invited to a wedding in Colombia, the first thing I did was check the fixture list: There was no way I was missing out on a trip to Bogota, but any doubts I may have had were laid to rest when I saw that the game I would be missing was Boro away. Hmmm . . . South America or an industrial wasteland?

I HATE international breaks — I miss going to see the Blues, the pundits bore the pants off anyone remotely interested in football with the Lampard/Gerrard ‘dilemma’, and inevitably the England ‘support’ do something to sink even lower in my estimation. This last weekend was no exception.

WHAT A thoroughly enjoyable week this has been.

I’M NOT quite sure why Stoke felt the need to wheel out a rather bemused looking Sugar Ray Leonard prior to kick-off last Saturday.

ALTHOUGH a point a piece was a fair result, I couldn’t shake off the feeling we missed a chance to put United to the sword, or, rather, that Anelka missed the chance . . . again!

AFTER the first 60 minutes at Middle Eastlands I had mentally crafted this column as a thesis on which set of supporters this weekend looked the biggest set of plums — the Manchester City fans swathed in tea-towels and Brazil shirts or those braying Geordies with their paranoid banners about “the Cockney Mafia.”

WELL, what a week that was! I bet no one saw that one coming out of the Middle Eastlands did they?

TOP OF the league — we’re having a laugh …… hmmm . . . maybe not.

SUNDAY was not, for the most part, pretty. In fact it was pretty frustrating to watch and there was much moaning around me from supporters who had expected the dazzling display of last week to continue.

NEW season, new manager, renewed hopes, a united support, excellent signings and the retention of some crucial players — all in all, an excellent way to put the heartache of Moscow behind us and look forward to a season full of promise.