from our sports desk

A night of strange and perturbed dreams.
My dreams featured the outgoing Chief Executive of the Johnston Press.
He is an outgoing Chief Executive not in the sense that he has a pleasant optimistic cheerful nature.
He is an outgoing Chief Executive in the sense that he will no longer be Chief Executive in January.
A new man is taking up the job.
Another one bites the dust, as we do say in the trade.
The Johnston Press has announced that the change of personnel at the top level has been arranged for some time.
Personally I wouldn't believe the Lord's prayer from them.
But then I'm not an objective judge.
Ironic though.
All the great Hire-ums and Fire-ums shuffling off into the sunset...
The editor and Managing Director of the Leinster Leader who were in situ when I was fired, departed westward ho themselves within a few weeks of me.
I wonder why they left.
I wonder how they're doing now.
What was it the Christians used to say?
The standard that you use shall be the standard you are measured by.
Most intriguing.
Now let me tell you about the dream.
In my dream the outgoing Chief Executive of the Johnston Press was sitting on the steps of Saint Paul's Cathedral in London.
He was dressed in rags like a Victorian flower girl.
He was singing, plaintively enough, a song from the 1960's film musical Oliver.
His version ran:
"Who will buy,
My wonderful shares,
Who will buy,
My fine company,
Who will buy,
My so precious wares,
Oh someone please buy,
Something from me."
There wasn't a dry eye in the house.


The Johnston Press owns the Leinster Leader from which I was fired last year three weeks before Christmas.
The share price of the Johnston Press on the eve of my firing was close to the £4 level.
The share price of the Johnston Press on Friday evening 24 October 2008, was 22 pence.
I wonder whether in firing me, those sublime geniuses at the Johnston Press could possibly have made a mistake.