ONE of the most vivid images from last season in the Premiership was the way Manchester United players in particular vented their fury against referees.

Roy Keane looked as if he was about to burst several blood vessels and send his eyes popping out of his head as he screamed at officials. And he's the captain.

Not before time, the FA has launched its biggest crack-down on the bad boys of the game.

Premiership clubs will be treated exactly the same as non-league teams. Players will be suspended for 12 games if they touch officials during a dispute and if they do it twice they will be banned for a year.

Clubs will also be fined up to £750,000 with a chance of losing two points. Roy Keane beware.

TALKING of Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson is regularly held up as one of the great managers of his time.

Certainly, in terms of silverware collected, he's up there with the greats.

But a great manager of people? He's suddenly decided to expand his autobiography by revealing the reasons for his fall out with David Beckham last year.

This is after telling Beckham that it was all over and wouldn't be mentioned again.

Great managers don't tell you one thing then do precisely the opposite. They also avoid washing dirty linen in public.

But when there's a few extra quid to be made, Sir Alex seems to rip up the rule book and do what he likes.

Somehow I can't imagine Bill Shankly doing that.

GAZZA says he wants to put a stop to all newspaper stories reporting his off-pitch antics now that he's joined Everton.

Since there was precious little in the way of 'on-pitch' antics last season, it didn't leave them much to write about, did it?

DAVID Ginola wants £52,000 a week, a six-bedroomed house, and matching his'n'hers Mercedes to sway him to move from Spurs to Villa.

It's a lot to ask - but wouldn't you want a fair bit of encouragement to move to Birmingham?

INSTEAD of concentrating on the epic success of his record-breaking son, Tiger Woods' father Earl has launched a ridiculous attack on Richard Williams and his tennis star daughters Venus and Serena.

Earl suggests Mr Williams isn't looking after them very well, is mishandling their careers and not allowing them to maximise their natural ability.

He's never met any of them, but he still seems to know enough to slag them off.

Oh, and he says he doesn't want to meet the sisters because 'they're immature and girlish'.

SEVEN English footballers have tested positive for using recreational drugs last season, including cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy.

The players have not been named but apparently it's the younger ones who are involved.

What a waste. Sportsmen should be setting an example to young people - not abusing their privileged positions.

Whoever they are, they should wake up quick, realise how lucky they are, and kick bad habits as well as they kick footballs.

Come to think of it, why haven't they been named? We live in a 'name and shame' society, so why should footballers be exempt?