Lehmann refuses to play ball

Jens Lehmann declined an open invitation to put the boot into former Arsenal nemesis Manuel Almunia when guesting as a TV pundit for the Manchester United game.

Asked if the Spaniard was at fault for Cristiano Ronaldo's long-range first goal, Lehmann gave a bizarre explanation blaming the type of ball and its movement for deceiving the Arsenal No1.

Surely, it's a coincidence the Champions League ball is made by adidas and the Stuttgart keeper has a long-term association with Nike.

Odd betting raises new fears

Three different bookmakers have come forward with concerns about suspicious betting on
non-League games, raising the prospect of a new wave of investigations.

The Blue Square Conference clash between Grays Athletic and Forest Green last week is being probed by the Football Association after unusual sums were correctly staked on the home side coming back from a half-time deficit to win. But further probes could now follow after bookies alerted the game's authorities to other suspect betting patterns over the past two seasons.

Unlike the Grays game, a number of the new allegations centre on results where unfancied teams have upset the odds to win. Alan Alger, a spokesman for bookies Blue Square, said: “It would be wrong to say corruption is rife but I am very worried.”

Big betting on non-League matches is a new phenomenon and the rewards for players on lower wages are more meaningful. An FA spokesman said: “We take breaches of betting rules very seriously.”

Bees stadium plans on hold

The difficulty facing London clubs trying to relocate was highlighted again this week when Brentford put their plans for a new 20,000-seat stadium on hold.

Project manager Brian Burgess blamed the economic downturn for the decision to delay the £30million scheme - originally scheduled for a site near Kew Bridge in 2012 - while a cheaper option is explored. Millwall and Arsenal remain the only professional clubs to have built new grounds in London since the Second World War.

From bubbles to bubbly . . .

While West Ham owner Bjorgolfur Gudmundsson, who admits he has personal liabilities of
£301million, may be departing the capital once the club is sold, his nephew Thor is staying to run his new wine bar in west London.

Despite Iceland being hit by the worst excesses of the credit crunch, Thor, 45, has found the funds to open The Kensington Wine Rooms. The former investment banker, a regular at West Ham games since BG' took control, said: “With all the doom and gloom around, people need somewhere to go out to entertain themselves.”