BILLY BUNTER

Weblog: The football punter

Getting wound up about a classic encounter

I LIKE to think of myself as quite open-minded – not that I'm into doing weird stuff with rubber clothes on or anything – but I found myself getting wound up about the TV channel that Birmingham's trip to NK Maribor on Thursday is being shown on.

ESPN Classic?

Ridiculous. I would make some gag about it being the only way Birmingham are ever going to make it onto that channel but a) I'm too angry and b) my Brummy brother-in-law is one of the biggest blokes I've ever seen and I don't want him to read this and be offended.

Actually, I doubt he has an internet-enabled device. Or an interest in anything other than the gym. Or the reading ability to decipher any of this.

I know it's not exactly the worst thing to have ever happened in the world but these occasional curveballs can irritate the avid football viewer. What if I hadn't fancied any of the other 22 live Europa League matches on offer?

Actually, I think I'm most likely to tune in to the Tottenham-Shamrock match. I can't see the Irish side making any impact at all and I'm getting with Spurs to win to nil.

And best of all, it's on that good, solid Europa League channel: Five.