Trust the cynics to wave the 'imaginary yellow card'

An important anniversary will soon be reached; the great modern Premier League fear of mime is almost ten years old.

As research methodologies go, it is a somewhat inexact approach, but Google fails to produce a single use of the phrase ‘imaginary yellow card’ in a Premier League context before the end of the 2005/06 season.

When contemporary visual theatre finally made its presence felt during the ensuing campaign, it will surprise few that Jose Mourinho was its chief sponsor.