NOSTALGIA ain't what it used to be, of course, but I went to Kingston Park for Newcastle's Tetley's Bitter Cup semi-final against Sale thinking what a pleasant change it was to revert to covering a top-level match on a Saturday.

Despite the Sky coverage, a crowd of 6,257 turned up - almost twice the average for Premiership matches on a Sunday, when Newcastle are convinced they get better crowds.

As Sunday is a busy day for morning newspaper sports journalists, I rush to Kingston Park matches and rush away afterwards without a thought for the age-old tradition of imbibing the clubhouse atmosphere.

Last Saturday was much more leisurely, so when Tyne Tees TV reporter Jeff Brown suggested a pint before the match it was like a cry from the good old days.

Alas, on arrival at the clubhouse door a steward asked if we were there for a corporate hospitality lunch. As we were not, admission was denied.

I have no wish to fire any broadsides at the Falcons' treatment of the Press. They provide us with a warm cabin where we assemble before and after games with tea, coffee and sandwiches provided, and Rob Andrew is as good as gold at making himself and his players available for comment.

But it strikes me as an extremely sad sign of the times that corporate hospitality should entirely take over a clubhouse.

I don't suppose the players know the words to Four and Twenty Virgins any more, either. Eskimo Nell? Who's she?

TALKING of those corporate people, I notice the Post Office decided to change their name to Consignia after a research exercise with corporate customers.

So have they inherited the earth? Will we go along with whatever brainless branding they suggest?

It certainly looks that way when we hear the smoothie Scot Adam Crozier talking of Team England while announcing the imminent arrival of the suave Swede who is the new coach.

Has it occurred to Crozier that Mr Eriksson might be a little too intellectual for some of his charges?

He may not be used to this. After all, there may be too many foreigners in English football but they usually manage to say something more interesting than "at the end of the day it's all about getting a result."

STILL on the topic of rebranding, golf fans might have wondered how last week's Accenture Matchplay Championship came by its name.

Well, apparently the management and technology adviser Andersen Consulting spent £68m relaunching themselves as Accenture.

Perhaps that explains why they couldn't find the money to persuade the world's top players to take part.

Still, Sam Torrance won't be complaining. He said months ago the Swede Pierre Fulke was a player he definitely wanted in this year's Ryder Cup team, and after reaching the final last Sunday he's already qualified.

WHEN Hamilton Ricard first arrived at Middlesbrough he looked as though he couldn't hit a barn door at five paces.

Then it emerged that beneath the clumsiness lay some real skill, only for it to go back into hiding this season.

But Terry Venables can unlock all sorts of treasures and there can have been few better gems than the goal Ricard curled so sweetly into the top corner to win the FA Cup tie at Bradford.

Sadly, the rest of the game merely begged the question as to why Sky chose a match between two Premiership strugglers for Monday night viewing.

Still, that won't worry Venables. Now there's a man who at the moment is fully entitled to say: "It's all about getting a result."

IT was reported on Tuesday that Geoff Boycott was to be paid £30,000 for a two-week coaching stint at Pakistan's national academy.

It is hard to believe that Pakistan could afford that sort of money, unless it is coming out of match-fixing proceeds, and in any case why would they want to pay it to Boycott?

It takes a more rounded personality to make a good coach than one whose success stemmed largely from an obsessive nature which put crease occupation above all else.

He has since said he won't be able to fit in the work because of his radio commentary schedule, which shows how quickly things are swept under the carpet as he was not the most sought-after commentator following allegations of woman beating.

Remember his performance in court? He made George Reynolds look like the soul of diplomacy and discretion.

But I couldn't see either of them bowing and scraping to corporate customers.