Blame the parking misery at Wembley for England's clash with Slovakia on the FA’s lack of vision

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One of the biggest financial blunders in the history of the FA would have been apparent to fans at Wembley on Monday night as the huge car park nearest the stadium is no longer in use.

This is because work has started on the latest building development by all-too-close neighbours Quintain to construct 500 new homes on the site.

Apart from the inconvenience of parking now being further away — which the VIPs will not like — the project is taking place on land that could have been FA property if more vision had been shown two decades ago.

The car park nearest Wembley was not in use for England's clash with Slovakia on Monday

In 1999 the FA only had the funds — courtesy of a £120million Lottery grant from Sport England — to buy land for the stadium but none of the surrounds now being exploited by Quintain. For less than the £35m it cost Liverpool to buy Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal, however, the FA could have bought the whole 85-acre site and staged the London 2012 Olympics there.

Instead, one of the world’s great stadiums is hemmed in on all sides by Quintain projects.

David Gower wrote a letter to The Times claiming MCC members are being led by 'sheep'

Sky cricket presenter and former England captain David Gower has written a letter to The Times bemoaning the MCC committee recommending the property development at the Nursery End of Lord’s being turned down and saying the membership are being led like ‘red and yellow tie, blazer and cap wearing sheep’.

Yet Gower, who has changed his mind about the options more than once, seems to have forgotten that the recommendation was based on a survey of all members — of which 5,000 responded — rejecting the flats by a ratio of 10 to one.

It does not say much for the Delaware North Company who have the in-house catering contract for Wembley that tenants Tottenham import their boardroom food on match days from super plush London restaurant Mosimann’s. 

A Spurs spokesman said Mosimann’s were the VIP caterers at White Hart Lane and the contract has been carried over to Wembley.

No doubt Wayne Rooney’s drink-driving charge will be top of the agenda this week when some members of the Everton board have a scheduled catch-up meeting with Monaco-based owner Farhad Moshiri. 

Bill Kenwright (right) will feel most let down by Wayne Rooney's recent drink-driving charge

However, it is chairman Bill Kenwright who will feel the most let down by the latest Rooney controversy, having been the most persuasive voice in bringing him back to Goodison. 

Kenwright felt Rooney would be a great influence on Everton’s young players and it is understood manager Ronald Koeman agreed with Kenwright, although his only reservation was around Rooney’s behaviour.

Acid test for Arsene

A good gauge of whether Arsenal’s core support still retain faith in beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger after the 4-0 humiliation at Liverpool and transfer window woes, will come two weeks on Wednesday when League One Doncaster Rovers visit the Emirates in the Carabao Cup third round.

The club’s 36,000 season ticket holders will have to pay for the match as the competition is not included in their 26-game package. Tickets have been priced at £20 or cheaper.

Former Chelsea and Leeds owner Ken Bates is set to release his autobiography next year

Ken Bates’ official autobiography has been 20 years in production, with a fair share of ghost-writers, including wife Suzannah, penning its 150,000 words. According to the former Chelsea and Leeds owner, the long-awaited tome is expected to be published next year, although he will not reveal the publisher. Don’t hold your breath.

England cricket supremo Andrew Strauss’s plan is to reward the winning coach of the Royal London Cup by having him lead one of the North v South sides in the prestigious one-day pre- season match in Abu Dhabi. 

However, Peter Moores — the triumphant Notts coach sacked by England on the day Strauss was appointed — has already made it clear one of his assistants will be taking his place in the Middle East.