Charles Sale: Beeb and Sky sport chiefs snub FA's Cup farewell party

Sky sports executives Vic Wakeling and Andy Melvin took their objections even further by not even attending the gala pre-match lunch. The BBC have even more reason to be upset, having done most to rescue the FA Cup's reputation as the premier cup competition in the world.

Shower of champagne: But Sky and the BBC's top brass snubbed the FA Cup farewell party

The Beeb say they had their own post Cup Final party outside the stadium which prevented them from attending the FA function. However, commentator John Motson did have a glass of champagne with Lord Triesman, Brian Barwick and England boss Fabio Capello to celebrate commentating on his last final for BBC TV.

The relationship between FA Cup sponsors E.ON and Soho Square went into meltdown the day before the Wembley FA Cup Final when it was discovered the welcome message from E.ON chief executive Dr Paul Golby had been left out of the match programme.

By the time horrified FA commercial staff discovered the error — the fault of a junior member of staff at the FA — it was too late to alter the programme, much to the footstamping fury of E.ON's staff and event team.

The sponsors were placated to some extent when the FA apologised, put Golby's message on the FA website, played an E.ON promotional video on the big screen and Lord Triesman gave them extra mentions in his speech.

Power suppliers E.ON had previously fallen out with the FA over the change of TV rights holders during their sponsorship — with the FA doing the deal without agreeing advertising concessions for the FA Cup backers.

Britain's moody No 1 tennis player Andy Murray reveals he does have a sense of humour when discussing Tim Henman's 'miserable git' insult delivered at last week's cricket benefit dinner. Murray, appearing on Sky's Soccer AM, revealed that Henman had texted to apologise for his comment causing aggravation, to which Murray replied: "There's no problem in telling the truth."

Chairman Lord Triesman has the full support of the FA council, delighted with his leadership when he made a U-turn over keeping the Government's Richard Caborn and Gerry Sutcliffe in arm's-length liaison roles for the 2018 World Cup bid strategy. But, at the FA Cup Final, Minister of Sport Sutcliffe was fuming about their marginalisation and warned the FA of what help they can expect from the ruling party if Government representatives are omitted from the 2018 management board.

Aston VIlla fans look to have have had a lucky escape on the ownership front. Before Doug Ellis sold the club to American Randy Lerner, he was in long negotiations with George Gillett, one of the American co-owners who has since made such a mess of Liverpool.

But Ellis, to his credit, would only sell to someone who put his cash on the table rather than borrowing and leaving the club with giant debts, as in Manchester United's and Liverpool's case.

England batsman Ian Bell's girlfriend, famous for her "my name's Chantelle not Chardonnay" comment during a WAGs' vineyard trip in New Zealand, came out with another memorable quote at the wine tasting. Asked her opinion of a Cloudy Bay, she said: "It smells of wine and tastes of grapes."

Ian Botham was enjoying himself so much in the early hours after the Bunbury tribute dinner in his honour at the Grosvenor House Hotel that it needed four burly Russian minders to remind him the bar had closed and to show him the exit of the Russian-run hotel.