Nor did the club chairman Simon Jordan whose own writings centred upon the need for fans in the

Nor did the club chairman, Simon Jordan, whose own writings centred upon the need for fans in the Holmesdale Road End not to stand during matches in order to conform with Health and Safety regulations. (A case of “Sit down, if you love Palace…”)But Jordan did go public on the issue later in the week, when he maintained that Birmingham would never, ever be given permission to approach Bruce for the job. Hear that stable door slam!It seems clear that Palace fans will have a sense of being, if not lied to, then at least misled over this matter. Bruce’s verbal manoeuvres over the past week have been a classic example of the doublespeak that exists within the game.Two other recent examples are fresh in my mind, although on these occasions manipulation, rather than prevarication, have been the motivating force.

Early in September, I attended a football writers’ lunch at which the guest, the Tottenham chairman, David Buchler, announced that the club had withdrawn from negotiations over the sale of defender Dean Richards by Southampton, whose asking price of £10m was grossly beyond Tottenham’s valuation of £4m “We are looking elsewhere,” Buchler insisted. On the same day, his counterpart, Rupert Lowe, asserted: “Dean is committed to playing for Southampton”.And so Dean was, for a full fortnight, until he signed for Spurs at a figure £2m short of the original asking price.Last month I sat in a roomful of fellow reporters and heard Norwich City’s manager, Nigel Worthington, gravely refusing to rule out the idea that he would take over his old club Sheffield Wednesday “The ball is firmly in the board’s court,” he added “If anything was to happen it would not be my fault I’m very happy at the club My family are settled in the area. Why should I want to move? But as an experienced manager once told me, you never say never…”A day later, Worthington’s contract at Norwich was increased from 18 months to four years.Now don’t get me wrong here. The great British press has been known to bend the truth from time to time in its desire to capture the hearts, minds and readership of the great British public.But when those in football criticise the press for exaggerating or misleading, they should think on. Glenn Roeder’s behaviour after West Ham earned their first away win in eight months at Ipswich last weekend was a case in point. He blamed the media – “you guys”, love that phrase – for having stirred up doubts over his tenure at Upton Park, insisting that, despite previous away results of 0-5 and 1-7, his job had not being questioned by his players, the board or the supporters.And yet Roeder must have heard the boos from his own fans before his men had turned their losing sequence around with victory at home to Southampton a week earlier. And he would presumably have noticed that Southampton’s manager, Stuart Gray, was sacked the day after that result following a sequence of results that did not differ dramatically from West Ham’s.Sometimes, for sure, the press deals in untruths for its own ends.

But sometimes it deals in untruths simply because it is supplied with them.. The first couple of years after Keith Gillespie went from Old Trafford to St James’ Park as the makeweight in the Andy Cole transfer, it was suggested Newcastle United had got the better deal. No one says that now, and not just because Andy Cole has scored 121 goals for Manchester United. The first couple of years after Keith Gillespie went from Old Trafford to St James’ Park as the makeweight in the Andy Cole transfer, it was suggested Newcastle United had got the better deal. No one says that now, and not just because Andy Cole has scored 121 goals for Manchester United.
Gillespie’s career began going wrong just as Cole’s began ascending.

He had started brightly under Kevin Keegan before reaching a peak under Kenny Dalglish with a legendary performance against Barcelona. Ruud Gullit, however, was less impressed and Gillespie left for Blackburn. There his fortunes dipped again with another managerial change, his mentor, Brian Kidd, being superseded by Graeme Souness. Thus in January, while Cole was on course for another Premiership medal, Gillespie was playing for Wigan Athletic against Wrexham in the Second Division.It is never easy to drag a career off the canvas, as many a faded starlet will testify.

But while Mark Robins, Lee Sharpe and Darren Huckerby are still trying to return to the promised land, Gillespie, now 26, is back in the Premiership. And, to his surprise, it was Souness who rescued him.”When the manager [Souness] came in there were about 10 games to go in the season,” said Gillespie when we met “I played in three or four Then he decided he didn’t fancy me.”I went to Wigan on loan. I wasn’t looking to sign for them, it was more a case of putting myself in the shop window. Nothing developed but when I came back I worked hard in training and reserve-team games. Then, out of the blue, the manager said: ‘I’m going to give you another chance’. That was it.”It shows if you work at it things can change, though I never thought they would.