Man United ambassadors told not to attack Jose Mourinho

The furore around Jose Mourinho has become such a sensitive issue that Manchester United's ambassadors have been urged not to inflame the situation further.

United's paid ambassadors — who include Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Bryan Robson, Denis Irwin and Ji-sung Park — have received an email from the club asking them 'to be careful' when talking to the media following all the fuss surrounding the manager.

The club felt the need for the reminder after Yorke attacked Mourinho near the end of last season. Yorke told a Dubai radio station that the manager's approach to the game did not befit club traditions and that United would have been Premier League champions last season if Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola had been in charge at Old Trafford.

Mourinho found Yorke's broadside particularly irritating because of the former United striker's club position.

Germany, who were at the centre of various scandals around them buying the right to host the 2006 World Cup, are determined to play it by the book in their bid to stage the European Championship in 2024.

So much so that press invited to Germany to hear plans for the tournament, who would normally have had their travel and accommodation looked after by the DFB, are being asked to pay for flights and hotels themselves.

Tony Woodcock, former England striker and European Cup winner, is going back to the classroom at the age of 62. Woodcock has enrolled at the University Campus of Football Business, which has facilities inside Wembley and Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, to study for a degree in sports psychology.

UCFB is being promoted in a TV ad fronted by Burnley manager Sean Dyche, who is a shareholder.

The blazers on the FA of Wales have a reputation of being even more intransigent than their English cousins.

But remarkably they have voted by a narrow margin for governance changes that will transfer the major decision-making in Welsh football to a new executive board.

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and a large entourage enjoyed a meal at the La Fattoria restaurant in Chester having parked two large people carriers outside in a 30-minute stay zone.

Inevitably, a traffic warden appeared but a few selfies with Fury were enough to avoid any parking tickets. But not so fortunate was the owner of the white van behind the Fury vehicles, who was issued with a fine.

A name that keeps being mentioned to succeed Premier League chairman Richard Scudamore when he leaves in December is Ian Ritchie, a former director of the Football League.

However, Ritchie took over as chairman of Premiership Rugby only last March and would be very unlikely to move on after less than a year.

Bigwigs back in the box

It is understood that the 12 past presidents of the RFU, who had a meeting at Twickenham last week to discuss financial management following a damning report by former chief executive Francis Baron, are likely to be restored to the Royal Box for the autumn internationals.

This follows most of them being moved elsewhere for the last Six Nations game against Ireland, which some at the RFU believe lit the blue touch paper for the privileged members' recent battle with the current regime.

Meanwhile, what does it say about the RFU redundancy programme which led to 62 people losing their jobs that one of those casualties, Ben Calveley, has been appointed managing director of the British and Irish Lions?

One of the more ridiculous appointments in football has to be BT football commentator Darren Fletcher's other role as vice-chairman of Notts County.

It doesn't seem to be working, as Notts are bottom of the Football League.