Anyone care if Des Kelly Goes Down?

“I hope you get relegated!”

Bolton fans have got used to hearing that tearful cry over the past few seasons. It usually comes from supporters of bigger clubs who have just been turned over. Now, it`s the turn of ‘journalist` Des Kelly. Ned Kelly had more scruples.

On Mondays, Kelly (Des, that is) can be found schmoozing with Gabby Logan on the BBC`s Inside Sport programme. He`s the one with the blow-dried ferret hairstyle. His day job is as a columnist on the Daily Mail, a grubby rag which specialises in ignorance and bullying.

Kelly`s piece, Why no tears will be shed if Bolton go down appeared on the Mail website on Monday evening, and was presumably written after an extended session in the wine bar. Its central idea, that Gary Megson should have selected a stronger side against Sporting Lisbon is worthy of discussion and many Wanderers fans agree, but the surrounding prose gives the article away as nothing more than a lazy, cowardly attack on one of the Premier League`s smaller clubs.

‘?Bolton, a club who have never scaled the heights of achievement or affection in the modern era?`

Ooh, get her. Sorry Dessie, but four consecutive top eight finishes with a fraction of the resources available to other clubs is an achievement. Those knowledgeable about football see that and appreciate it. Clearly that excludes you. Do we care that you and the rest of the muesli* bunch in the gutter press don`t like us? No, we revel in it.

‘Most of all, it was an insult to all the fans who had paid good money to make that trip to Lisbon, as well as the journeys that preceded it.`

So now you`re a man of the people. Care to explain how wishing relegation on a club, as you have, is respectful to its fans?

`But Bolton represent the ugly truth of the game.`

Really? Are they worse than Chelsea, whose spending has so distorted the transfer market. Or Arsene ‘I don`t fink I saw that` Wenger, whose selective blindness is a joke even to Arsenal fans? Or West Ham with their ludicrous wages to average players? Or Spurs, who`ve spent over £100 million to win the Carling Cup. Or Manchester United, who were quite happy to ditch the FA cup when it suited them? Or the FA whose disciplinary panel comes to different decisions depending on which day of the week it is?

Today, ahead of the Manchester United v Bolton game, the Daily Mail amongst others is doing Alex Ferguson`s bidding, by spreading propaganda, that`s intended to benefit the home side. Now that really is ugly.

* muesli – A collection of nuts, fruits and flakes.