On the train on the way down last Saturday an ex-Swedish football international sat opposite us and chatted most of the way down.

The club have taken my name plate from undernath my seat at the bottom of the Leazes end and stuck it on my new seat. It was originally a Bond related thing but this lapsed when we bought it moved to the Family Enclosure. They didn't need to do it, so a nice gesture. Unless of course the new occupant of my old seat has complained at having to sit on IAN FERGUSON for a whole game

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2001

Answers

Over the past 4 years I've written to the club no fewer than 5 times asking when my nameplate would be putting in an appearance - even contacted the groundsman and asked if he could have a word with his mate in maintenance - all to no avail. Then, miraculously, a nameplate was in place for the Boro game. With someone else's name on it. Idiots.

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2001

none of you rose to the bait, so I'll just have to tell you that the Swedish international was mid 20s, fair hair blue eyes and she was gorgeous

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2001

Could only be Andrea Andersson then? ;-{)

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2001

he's got a lovely pierced tummy button then

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2001

I never noticed the first sentence in that piece Macbeth. So tell us more - who, why, and what was said?

-- Anonymous, March 22, 2001

Ben and I had seats booked but decided to change to a table area that had free ones. The seats opposite were booked and just before the off this lovely blonde girl sat. She looked (to me !) like she wanted to chat.

She was doing an economics degree at Heriot Watt and going to London on her way home for Easter. We are going to friends in Sweden for our holiday this summer, and she happned to come from the neighbouring town so she was delighted to tell us of the places to go.

I then asked her how the Swedes had taken to Ericcson being England manager (great pride) and we chatted about his career a bit. She was very knowledgable for a girl (joke Steph/Doug/Ciara). She then started to ask about how football was organised in Scotland/UK. I did my best to explain. The she wanted to know about womens football. I again tried my best to explain, luckily the train goes through Doncaster so I didn't have to try and explain that. Sweden sounds unbelievably well organised in comaprison to here. Surprise surprise.

She'd played in her local team and then county team and then national side, this being the path up the ladder, to mix metaphors nicely. She played central midfield, but wouldn't really say how good she was, just pickened slightly when I asked her. It sounded like she had had a Shearer type injury. She snapped what sounded like medial ligaments in her knee on a heavy pitch with no one near her. It took her a year to walk properly. Since then she's not played, and hasn't missed it, feeling in retrospect it had taken over her life and that she had to get on with other things. Very nice.

Is there any structure in place in the UK apart from deciding to go to your local side and try and get a game ?

-- Anonymous, March 23, 2001

I know that womens football is quite popular at University. One of my friends ran the womens team (the poor sod.....). He said that most girls had not played football before so he would have to teach them all the basiscs. I saw a couple of their games and it reminded me of primary school stuff, with everyone chasing the ball.

Things may have changed since then but as I understand it, England is miles behind other countries in Womens football. BTW aren't the Swedish national team one of the best?

-- Anonymous, March 23, 2001

......certainly one of the best looking ones, I'd guess Kegsy.

There's a lot of girls' sar-cuh over here in US. Probably as many girls teams as boys. However, given the popularity of football, baseball, basketball, hockey and shooting, it's not that surprising. But I here the lads are getting more interested too.

-- Anonymous, March 23, 2001