Here we are, back again to those regular bedfellows, the bantz and the ‘controvassy’.

Some of us felt this golden age of controvassy might have peaked the morning we learned Roy Hodgson had been found wanting on the tactical half-time comedy front, and had landed in the ‘race-hate mire’ for telling a joke about a monkey in space.

In the foreword of John Giles’s book The Great And The Good, Eamon Dunphy told us: “John is undemonstrative by nature. But his passion for the game is real and deeply felt.”

The sky didn’t fall in. And nobody drowned, except Offaly. You couldn’t pin that on the lifeguard in charge.

“Suarez has gone down like he’s been crucified.”

I was very fortunate to be invited to the annual Nordoff Robbins Football Extravaganza at the Grosvenor Hotel in London on Tuesday evening.

Contrasting fortunes for the new Wimbledon champions. Andy Murray breezed through his final eliminator to qualify for a tilt at the ultimate prize — a knighthood.

A touch alarmingly for the newborn Gaelic football championship, the sport’s news agenda has, so far, been hogged by two flamboyant old stagers who won’t kick a ball this summer.

FA Cup Fourth Round: Man Utd v Fulham

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson replied to comments Gary Neville made about David de Gea on TV this week by saying "You have to listen to some idiots".

An advertising boost from the Euro 2012 football tournament helped the owner of radio station talkSport weather “choppy” trading conditions today.

IT IS eighteen months now since Andy Gray and Richard Keys wandered into a debate about the respective merits of the English Premier League and La Liga during a league match between Manchester City and Everton.

Marina Hyde fears Richard Keys and Andy Gray have launched a stealth campaign to get their faces back on television screens.

A spectacular week of European football reminded us of many things.

A FEW of us spent a most enjoyable and rewarding hour in the company of three Irish football heroes of yesteryear on Monday morning as Tony Cascarino, Frank Stapleton and Paul McGrath mixed some astute analysis of the Premier League and Trapattoni’s Ireland with a few entertaining detours down memory lane.

UTV, which owns Cork’s 96FM, saw revenue at its Irish radio division fall 4% in the first six months of the year to £11 million (€12.4m).

The controversial hiring of former Sky Sports pair Andy Gray and Richard Keys at TalkSport is paying off after the radio station said it was on course to deliver a boost to full-year revenues.

'Countdown' presenter Jeff Stelling is to leave the Channel 4 show after less than three years.

GLENN HODDLE yesterday apologised for comments he made live on air during Sky’s broadcast of the Barclays Premier League game between Fulham and Chelsea on Monday night.

Glenn Hoddle today apologised for comments he made live on air during Sky’s broadcast of the Barclays Premier League game between Fulham and Chelsea last night.

ANDY GRAY and Richard Keys made their radio debut yesterday, but failed to mention the Sky Sports sexism row that saw them lose their jobs.

Gerard Houllier will hold talks with Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker over his future at the end of this month.

FORMER Sky Sports TV presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray, will return to broadcasting next week, hosting a daily radio show on English commercial station talkSPORT.

Former Sky Sports presenters Andy Gray and Richard Keys have been signed up by UK radio station talkSPORT.

Equality chief Trevor Phillips today dismissed the 'Top Gear' slur on Mexico as a "bit of schoolboy provocation".

GAA PRESIDENT Christy Cooney has welcomed the possibility of men’s senior inter-county fixtures being refereed by female officials.

Kenny Dalglish has dismissed the notion the gender of an official would have any bearing on his reaction to their decisions.

REPUBLIC of Ireland legend John Giles believes Sky Sports were looking to replace Andy Gray and Richard Keys before the sexism row that erupted last week and says comments made about assistant referee Sian Massey were simply an excuse for the broadcaster.

SIAN MASSEY, the match official at the centre of a sexism storm this week, will not take charge of her planned match this weekend due to the intense media attention.

Sian Massey, the match official at the centre of a sexism storm this week, will not take charge of her planned match this weekend due to intense media attention.

THE wife of Richard Keys has criticised Sky as being “offside” for how the broadcaster handled the sexism controversy that led to her husband’s resignation.

Richard Keys walked away from his job as Sky’s football anchorman with a parting shot from West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady that the presenter had “added insult to injury”.

It was a night for the veterans at the National Television Awards with two seasoned stars carrying off the big prizes.

Richard Keys has quit as Sky’s football anchorman after claiming that “dark forces” were at work in the sexism scandal that had already cost fellow presenter Andy Gray his job.

Sky Sports football presenter Richard Keys has resigned from his position with the broadcaster, Sky News tonight reported.

Richard Keys today claimed that “dark forces” have been at work in the sexism furore that has cost fellow presenter Andy Gray his job.

Sky Sports anchorman Richard Keys today apologised for his part in the sexism furore that has cost fellow presenter Andy Gray his job.

England manager Fabio Capello has backed the use of women officials in the game in the wake of the sacking of Sky Sports pundit Andy Gray and the censure of presenter Richard Keys.

The focus appeared to shift back on Richard Keys last night after new footage of him making inappropriate comments to Jamie Redknapp before a game surfaced on the internet.

“A FEW years ago Ron Atkinson was shown the door for racist remarks and I think it is right that the sexist comments of Andy Gray have been treated in the same way by Sky."