Tile Margin couldn't help noticing the different interpretations British quality newspaper headline writers put on Terry Venables' forthcoming resignation. The venerable Daily Telegraph made its loyalties clear when it trumpeted "Renaissance threatened by hounding of Venables". The trendy liberal Guardian seemed to take a different slant with its "Venables spares FA blushes". The Times took a middle line with its "Venables leaves FA in muddle over England" as did the Independent with "Venables to stand down after Euro 96".

The Financial Times managed an inside page headline "Venables to leave to fight legal battles" although the FT did manage a very gloomy front page picture of Tel as well as an editorial captioned "Goodbye Tel". Is this the first time that the FT has graced its leader pages with an editorial about a mere football personality?