Football Notebook

Manager Glenn Hoddle and players Teddy Sheringham, Ben Thatcher, Gus Poyet, Simon Davies and Goran Bunjecevic took the time to paint some plates to help raise money for the Prince's Trust. The plates were fired and made into clocks by Rotary Watches.

Notebook is especially impressed by Thatcher's portrait of Ray Wilkins but Hoddle's depiction of a football stadium is interesting.

It's a stadium that is only three-quarters full of rows of sort of bluey-black supporters.

Hoddle told Notebook: "I used to draw this kind of thing when I was eight. It's quite interesting really as I painted one half of the ground with lots of fans in blue and just one red dot in the other half. But I'm not telling you why, I will leave everyone else to work it out."

Notebook is no art critic - unless you count those eight years as director of the Tate - but it's either a lone Arsenal fan or an aerial view of Sven-Goran Eriksson's bald head after a touch too much sun.

In any case, well done to Spurs for their efforts with the brush which raised £8,915 in all with £1,400 for Hoddle's plate.

He said: "If you want a real insight into the behaviour of the custodians of public virtue get a job as a waiter at the next Football Writers' dinner. You will love it. It makes the Professional Football Association's dinner look like a Methodists' Tea Party."

The dinner is on Thursday, at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. Dear old Ken is right. It will produce the annual depressing sight of near catatonic old lushes dribbling into their brandies. But think positive, Ken. Once the hacks finally slump face-first into their cream caramel desserts, it puts an end to their monstrous boasting for the night.