IT seems strange that, nearly 400 years on, we still celebrate one of the earliest and most notorious acts of terrorism to occur in this country.

Guy Fawkes and his band of rebels failed to blow up Parliament but their legend lives on in the form of Bonfire Night and the weeks leading up to it.

Their legend also lives on in the form of the massive cost to the emergency services and local councils and the human cost of injury and grief.

If being a killjoy means saving public money, lives and limbs, then I plead guilty because I feel the time has come to ban the sale of fireworks and allow only organised displays on the night itself.

It was felt that restricting the sale of fireworks to people aged 18 and over would improve matters. In fact, the evidence shows that it has merely created a black market for those prepared to supply minors.

The relaxation of import controls has led to fireworks coming into Britain and being sold cheaply from the back of vans. In Middlesbrough we have had over 30 reports of illegal selling of fireworks. Video footage shows children as young as six queueing to buy fireworks, then stuffing them down their trousers or letting them off in the street - and this is three weeks before the night itself.

The banning of bangers was supposed to help matters. All that happened was that manufacturers created the "airbomb' which will itself be banned next year.

This is just papering over the cracks as an alternative will soon be found. The answer is to ban all firework sales except to those arranging authorised displays.

THE £150,000 fine and five match ban will probably not raise a flicker of emotion on the face of Roy Keane but, beneath the surface, he should be a worried man.

Last year he captained Manchester United to their worst season in recent memory, he abandoned his country in their hour of need and revealed himself to be a petulent brat.

His unnecessary book dwelt on the past, now he needs to focus on the future or, like many before him, face a retirement of regret.

SPEAKING of football, the only man to emerge from England's recent games in the European Championships with any credit is a Scotsman!

FA Chief Executive Adam Crozier deserves praise for the swiftness with which he reacted to the shooting of two England fans in Slovakia. No doubt many had jumped to the conclusion it was another case of English hooliganism, but Mr Crozier was able to nip this in the bud by ascertaining facts and relaying them on the night to the media.

It's a shame David Beckham and Alan Smith did not show similar composure in the two recent games. Beckham should have been sent off in Slovakia for his disgraceful two-footed challenge. And Smith's red-card challenge on Wednesday night was pathetic.

Sven-Goran Eriksson needs to instill discipline into the England team. If they are reduced to challenges like this against the minnows of world football, then we will have no chance against the best.