Ominous signs for parallel careers

GRAEME SOUNESS’ departure yesterday is good news for the forlorn Toon Army - except one particular soldier, for whom the sacking may be a sinister omen.

Souness was born in Edinburgh on May 6 1953, as was British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Since then their careers have run in parallel on several occasions, though the politician was never sent off in an Old Firm derby for a ferocious over-the-top tackle, as far as we recall.

In 1983, for instance, both enjoyed promotion - Blair, a young MP, became shadow Treasury spokesman for the Labour Party, the same year Souness made his dream move from Liverpool to Sampdoria in Italy’s Serie A.