So following last week’s Panorama into football bungs, Sam Alladyce, the “embattled” Bolton manager has imposed a ban on the BBC at all his press conferences. He now joins Sir Alex Ferguson in refusing to talk to the BBC (Fergie is unhappy at the way his son was treated in a previous BBC documentary).

Now if Alladyce feels that he has a legal complaint against the BBC, then he’s every right to have his day in court if that’s what’s needed. But the BBC pays his club a share of the £xm a year that is paid to the Premiership for radio and television rights. As such, however unhappy he might be, he should be contracted to make post match comments much as American sportsmen and women, or tennis players are obliged to.

These petty vendettas aimed against broadcasting organisations who have the temerity to conduct investigative journalism is frankly sickening and puts football in a terrible light.

He and Ferguson should be fined each and everytime they refuse to appear on a BBC camera or conduct a post match radio interview of at least two minutes, with suspension if they continue behaving that way. It’s the very least that the licence fee payer deserves.

On a separate subject entirely, what the hell is The Guardian doing employing Russell Brand to write a “sports” column every week? They’re having a laugh aren’t they – except that it’s not a very funny laugh. I did enjoy last week’s Independent on Sunday review of Brand’s radio show though (can’t find it online – sorry).