For the biggest footballing weekend of the season I managed to find myself in New York and wangled a press pass to Shea Stadium to watch the New York Mets playing the Cincinatti Reds. The grand old stadium (remember the Beatles played there in the 1960s) is being demolished at the end of the season and the new one has taken shape just next door (see picture). On the Sunday morning at 10a.m. I found myself a few hundred yards from Madison Square Garden in Manhattan surrounded by Man Utd fans in an Irish bar watching the footy. General gloom aside for this Chelsea supporter, I regretted not hearing Steve Bennett, who went from reffing one of the most important matches of the season on the Sunday to addressing the Maidstone branch of the refs' association on Monday. He had an interesting match, unsighted for a clear Rio Ferdinand handball but making a spot-on decision for their penalty. He erred on the generous side - it was the last game of the season after all - in keeping Scholes on the pitch but I think he was right. The Mancs were typically ungracious on the final whistle, but I showed them true Chelsea class: shook their hands and congratulated them. As I left the bar, I muttered under my breath, "see you in Moscow!"
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