Meddling Platini's medal for Chelsea chief Kenyon

Platini, whose word is now law within UEFA as the all-powerful executive president, had the barmy idea of a top club official heading the team line-up for the medal ceremony, which was put into practice early on Thursday morning after the penalty shootout in Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium.

So rather than skipper John Terry being first up the steps after that momentous battle with Manchester United, there was the ridiculous sight of the sharp-suited Kenyon - with no known football-playing ability - having a medal put around his neck by Platini on account of him being the day-to-day controller off the pitch at Chelsea.

A clearly embarrassed Sir Bobby Charlton, who at least has a somewhat superior playing c.v. than Kenyon, filled the role for United, who felt he was a more appropriate figurehead than their chief executive David Gill.

But Sir Bobby, who led United to their 1968 European Cup win, did not allow Platini to dress him with a gong - which he quickly hid from view before stepping aside as soon as possible to allow the victorious United team and manager Sir Alex Ferguson their rightful limelight during the presentation ceremony.

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PLatini and Bobby Charlton

After that epic Champions League night in Moscow and the massive personal redemption for Paul Scholes, who missed winning a medal in 1999 through suspension, one would imagine even such a private man as Scholes would spare a few words for the media after the match.

But no, it was head down as usual through the mixed zone where journalists congregate and on to the team bus as if it was just another run-of-the-mill occasion.

It might concern the many clients of Victor Ubogu-organised packages to big sports events worldwide that the ex-England prop and Chelsea fan was wandering around the Luzhniki Stadium at 3.30am after the Champions League final with no idea of how he was going to get back into Moscow unless he could cadge a lift on the last media bus for Red Square.

The Glazer family might have saddled Manchester United with £666million of debt but it was still a pretty poor show by United to be charging media outlets £250 for a picture of Sir Alex Ferguson with the FA Cup and Champions League trophy, as well as the same price for Ryan Giggs collecting a gold watch from Sir Bobby Charlton for beating his appearance record.

There is much surprise in the Monaco pit lane that the BBC have decided to use an in-house production team - rather than the proven expertise of the North One company responsible for ITV grand prix programming - for their Formula One coverage, especially as knowledgeable personnel from the Beeb's last F1 rights deal 12 years ago are thin on the ground.

It has also caused comment that four races have taken place since the channel switch was announced by Bernie Ecclestone and there has been no sighting of BBC officials looking and learning.

The Beeb response is that it is a long season and they have plenty of talented people more than capable of adapting to F1's demands.

The PR spin already circling feverishly around England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup is now suggesting that FA chairman Lord Triesman has a long friendship with investigative sports journalist Andrew Jennings, who might, as a result, now have some unlikely influence on the FA decision-making process.

However, Triesman insists he wouldn't even recognise Jennings, who makes a habit on his BBC Panorama programmes about sports corruption of popping out of the shrubbery in his white raincoat to confront targets.