A different ball game for me

AND so the last Sunday in September is almost upon us and there’s just a nerve-tingling 24 hours to go to one of the biggest events in the sporting calendar, as two ancient rivals and neighbours prepare to renew battle in the presence of a massive crowd and with millions more tuning in on television all over the world.

Yes, it’s Manchester United versus Manchester City, folks, and you hardly need me to tell you that they don’t come much bigger than this.

Had you going there for a minute, eh? Of course, don’t be silly, I’m fully aware that the Manchester derby isn’t the only round ball blockbuster taking place on the morrow. For, no sooner will the reds and blues have settled their differences at Old Trafford than the armchair enthusiast can, with a simple press of a button, turn his attention to that other much-anticipated meeting of neighbours, as London rivals Chelsea and Spurs go head to head at the Bridge. After that, there’s a chance to broaden your sporting horizons by checking out Real Madrid v Xerez live from the Bernabeu, followed by another quick change of scene to see how Valencia handle the visit of Sporting Gijon to the Mestalla. That should take us up to around 10pm and a little bit of breathing space before we settle back down again to wrap up all the weekend’s action in the always personable company of MOTD2. As Uncle Lou once put it, oh, it’s just a perfect day...