PREDICTIONS from all quarters suggested the weather, a build up from the Adriatic Sea, was going to be atrocious in Graz - snow six feet deep and a daytime temperature of minus four.

But it's difficult to see what all the fuss was about. The picturesque countryside was snow covered but the temperature was a mild four degrees - it was colder in the North-East earlier in the day.

It may be lulling us into a false sense of security with a dramatic fall in temperature predicted but so far the scarf has stayed in the drawer.

Graz, a beautiful city, is the second largest in Austria after Vienna. It is famed for its modern architecture and the inner circle is frequently visited by budding architect students from all over the world.

As well as admiring views - it is made up of 62 per cent forests and only the south of the city is free from mountains - Graz has had a prosperous car manufacturing industry for over 100 years.

Mercedes, BMW and Chrysler are just three of the leading names to be put together here as wealthier countries make the most of the low cost of employment in this country.

THERE has been confusion over the name of Grazer AK, with some believing they should be called Liebherr GAK.

However, Liebherr is the club sponsor only and it would be like calling Middlesbrough 888.com MFC.

One thing that the Grazer players will be putting in their mouths ahead of tonight's game is pumpkin seed oil, with footballers believing it gives them more energy and improves their health.

Perhaps Steve McClaren could do a lot worse than feed the oil to his players prior to tonight and see if it helps.

UNDER the turf at the stadium where Middlesbrough will be playing tonight there once stood a gymnasium. Apparently it was in this centre that Hollywood movie mogul Arnold Schwarzenegger first pumped iron in his attempts to build up the muscles that led to him become a film star.

Graz is Schwarzenegger's homecity and it is a place where he is still worshipped by its 230,000 population and that is why the ground where Middlesbrough play tonight was aptly named the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadion.

There may be no Kindergarten Cop to overcome this evening for Middlesbrough but their strikers may well have to overcome a dose of sickness - that's because Gernot Sick is likely to be marking one of them.

THERE was one moment yesterday when Mark Schwarzer's allegiances were more than clear. Schwarzer has dual-nationality and could have played for either Germany or Australia. But after spending ten minutes talking to the press about his Middlesbrough contract in the airport lounge, there was one last question he had to bat back. "Who is going to win the Ashes in the summer?" quipped one hack.

Schwarzer's response was immediate: "Australia of course."