THERE are many people who think Lee Bowyer ought to be in jail, yet even if he is found guilty in a court of law of assaulting a team-mate he will probably get away with a suspended sentence.

He has already been fined and served a ban, so a public slap on the wrist would do nothing to deter Bowyer from his belief that he is above the law. In any case we all know that the law is as big an ass as he is when an obscenely over-paid Premiership footballer, El Hadji Diouf, is allowed to apply for legal aid when charged with spitting at someone in the crowd.

There is no point in pussy-footing around with these people. The law of the land as it currently stands is not strong enough to convince them to behave like civilised people, so why go to the ridiculous expense of bringing a prosecution?

There's also the fear that the Bowyer case could open up a can of worms, considering the violence in sports such as rugby and ice hockey.

While Bowyer running ten yards to assault a team-mate is different from a rugby player's spur-of-the-moment retaliatory punch, it is still difficult to draw the line. When people clearly over-step the line a private prosecution can be brought, otherwise sport should be left to police itself until the law of the land can make a difference to footballers' mentality.

GRANTED four clear days after Durham finished their match at Worcester on Saturday, I nipped off down to Celtic Manor, where Miguel Angel Jimenez's victory in the Welsh Open on Sunday was followed by the world finals of the International Pairs, a hugely successful amateur event with 31 countries represented.

I was interested to find out why the lavish set-up by the M4 at Newport was preferred to Slaley Hall in the battle to stage the 2010 Ryder Cup, especially as the hotel, on its lofty perch, looks pretty grotesque from the motorway.

The answer can only be money. With hotel room bookings in the area already well advanced, it will doubtless be good for the Welsh economy, but the suspicion remains that the money of billionaire Terry Matthews swung the deal.

Born at Celtic Manor when it was a hospital, he made his money in computers in Canada and it is clear that no expense has been, or will be, spared in his effort to make the Ryder Cup a success. The American wives will love the hotel, but only a man with a serious sentimental attachment to a site with such steep slopes would have built three golf courses on it.

Little wonder that Ian Woosnam's Welsh Open challenge faded as four rounds over the Roman Road course would tax much fitter men. The order of the holes was altered to balance up the two nines in terms of both par and interest, the back nine normally being much shorter but far more attractive.

In golfing terms, I would rate it slightly behind Slaley, but apparently six or seven new holes are to be built to create a composite, flatter course for the Ryder Cup. There will also be a new clubhouse to complement, or upstage, the plush one already in existence. As I said, money talks.

ALL the Welsh people I spoke to seemed convinced that Stephen Jones will be the Lions' Test fly half ahead of Jonny Wilkinson, but were surprisingly coy about Michael Owen's chances of taking the No 8 berth destined for Lawrence Dallaglio.

The loss of Dallaglio is an enormous blow, both for the squad and himself as he had to return from the last Lions tour because of his knee problem. The mental impact can be gauged by the fact that he is now talking about reversing his retirement from England duties, obviously feeling he is currently being deprived of the top-level action he deserves.

As he recovers he may decide that his body has taken enough of a battering, and after Wilkinson's run of injuries it will be interesting to see how he emerges from his first going-over of the tour. After the token outings for Ronan O'Gara and Charlie Wilkinson, it must surely now develop into a head-to-head between Jonny and Jones.

THE Test at Riverside appears to have gone well in terms of impressing the national media in their new home, with The Times adding to its praise by referring to good ingress and egress for cars. This means Christopher Martin-Jenkins was able to make a sharp exit.

The debate over whether Durham should stage Tests against bigger countries will now become quite heated, especially as Headingley is already suffering by not having a Test this year.

The Daily Express made a reference to the media centre being half finished, saying that Durham blamed funding delays caused by lack of clarity in the ECB's arrangements for future Test and one-day internationals. They were understood to have made long-term promises about Headingley, but as long as Lord's hosts both visiting countries every year there will not be enough to go around for the rest.

Published: 10/06/2005