BILLY BUNTER

Weblog: The football punter

Thierry goal can make up for my disturbed Sunday 

THE drill of your telephone going off at 9am is never a way I like to start Sundays, but it got a lot worse this weekend.

I was greeted with the words that no retired Sunday footballer likes to hear.

"We've only got ten, Billy. Any chance you can turn out?"

I don't like to let my mates down and I suppose it was my own fault when they stuck a signing-on form under my nose after my sixth pint of lager at the pub that night in September.

I felt duty bound to offer my services, even though not cleaning my boots after my retirement season proved to be a massive oversight.

The fact was the mud was holding them together and the laces were so crusty that they were untiable.

So I got to the common ten minutes before kick-off only to find out that a couple of lads were sleeping on the floor of the bloke who puts up the nets and there was a berth on the subs bench.

I didn't get on and, to make matters worse, had to run the line when I should have been watching Goals on Sunday.

Paul Scholes doesn't have to put up with that kind of lark, does he?

There is no evidence that Paul Reaney and Norman Hunter might play on Monday at the Emirates, but it's all about the return of Thierry Henry.

Blimey, it's like being back in 2002.

I can't see what Wenger is going to gain from having him back - he looked frustrated enough the last time when they had a great team and now he's got to play with this bunch of clowns - but he will still probablyscore against Leeds.

They'll get a penalty or something so I'll be ploughing in to the 5-4 that he notches.

After all, we've not had much romance in the FA Cup this weekend.