Moving the National is a great idea - don't let the paranoid tell you otherwise

You won't find many more nervous watchers of a football match than me. Even during Arsenal's glory years, all games were watched through shaking fingers from behind the sofa, convinced the opposition were about to score at any moment. If you had asked me to predict Arsenal's results during the Invincibles season, I would have probably gone for 38 defeats instead of none.

All of which might seem like a roundabout way to remind you that Arsenal were once a very good team, but the point is that judgements based on fear and paranoia are seldom sound – which is why the sport should embrace the idea of moving the Grand National back a week.

Trainers and bookmakers have thrown their weight behind the idea of pushing the great race back to April 17 so that betting shops might be open for the once-a-year punters to strike their bets, something that would be a colossal help to racing's finances at a time when the sport is really struggling.