MOST Yorkshire people would describe Dermot Reeve as "all fur coat and no knickers."

So it's a fair bet that the majority will think their county cricket club chief executive, Colin Graves, is off his trolley even to consider offering Reeve a management role.

Reeve was the original choice to speak at Durham's Test Match Celebration dinner at the Gosforth Park Hotel on Monday night, but acting chairman Bob Jackson vetoed the appointment and impressionist Kevin Connelly performed admirably instead.

This shows an interesting contrast between the two counties. Graves is part of a gang of four who have turned round Yorkshire's finances but overseen a decline in playing fortunes, while the highly-respected Jackson is steeped in cricket but has no involvement in high finance.

Durham beat Yorkshire twice this year and may now be on the verge of pinching at least one of their more popular players. It's a shift which will cause deep rumblings in the Broad Acres and there will be more trouble at t'mill if the management really believe Reeve is the man to point the way forward. He made his reputation as captain of the successful Warwickshire team a decade ago, but as coach of Somerset he was seen increasingly rarely because he was pursuing other interests and is now an established Channel 4 commentator.

He has the gift of oozing confidence even in a crisis, which can be helpful in a television role but will not get Yorkshire, the 2001 champions, out of the second division.

MICHAEL Gough's decision to quit first-class cricket at the age of 23 is a disappointment for everyone who had such high hopes of him when he was England Under 19 captain. But it clearly offers food for thought.

If a professional sportsman is to fulfil his potential the first requirement is that he must love the game. If that goes then it's better for all concerned that he quits honourably, as Gough has done, rather than accept payment for performing half-heartedly.

Michael used to give the impression that he was besotted by the game. He wasn't a spoilt child, but there is a feeling that a lot of sportsmen get too much too young these days, which stifles their development because they think they've succeeded before they are halfway there.

Another recent England Under 19 captain, Ian Bell, has had a disappointing season with Warwickshire.

Perhaps the more talented ones have too much expectation placed upon them, for which we in the media must accept most of the blame.

NOT quite as much blame, however, as should be attached to The Sun for its utterly tasteless "Bonkers Bruno" headline.

From being a lovable figure of fun, Big Frank is suddenly deserving of the utmost pity. His mental illness is yet another reminder of the dual dangers for top sportsmen of living in a cloistered world and being placed on a pedestal.

When both are taken away the world can seem an empty, lonely place, which is why so many cricketers have committed suicide, footballers have turned to drink and boxers have become unstable in a way which cannot be blamed solely on too many blows to the head.

Bruno has climbed up off the canvas many times; let us hope he isn't permanently floored by this illness.

WHILE Glenn Hoddle ponders what misdemeanours he has committed in a past life to deserve his current fate, perhaps he'll have the good sense to consider a life away from the madhouse of football.

There's far too much horror and nastiness on television already without TV companies falling over themselves to bring Manchester United v Arsenal to our screens. They should do the honourable thing and boycott these contests.

It was as if the two teams couldn't wait for the last day of summer to expire before dragging the winter game deeper into the gutter.

The last time I saw a look of such snarling hatred it was on the face of Roy Keane. This time things were so bad Keane had to act as peacemaker, while Martin Keown was the one apparently auditioning for a part in EastEnders.

After Robert Pires' appalling dive the previous week, Viera, Van Nistelrooy, Lauren and Lehmann were prominent in this latest episode.

There were a couple of Englishmen as well, but it strikes me that the cosmopolitan mix of modern football teams merely makes things more combustible.

The obsession with signing overseas players has gone much too far and is bound to be detrimental to the production of good national teams in Britain.

When Rangers and Celtic played in Europe last week their starting line-ups included one Scot between them. How ridiculous is that?

Published: 26/09/2003