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Last week was more hectic than originally planned, but everything is going to plan.  There were calls from all kinds of media, the BBCâÂÂs Newsround to the BBCâÂÂs Radio Belfast, Faroe

Islands Radio to half the stations in Spain and a piece for _The Independent on Sunday_ to write.  Radio Belfast called while I was driving. ItâÂÂs not the biggest radio station in the

world, but the lad was friendly, insisted that there are a lot of United fans in Northern Ireland and I agreed to find a landline to do an interview. You may like They called⦠to stand

me down, that is say that they didnâÂÂt need me. That happens perhaps twice a year â itâÂÂs part of live radio.  They asked politely if I could do the interview the following morning

and I agreed. They called early and I was put on hold while Henry Winkler, aka The Fonz, was being interviewed, droning on and on in clichés.  I was kept on hold for 14 minutes, before a

voice said: âÂÂWeâÂÂre sorry, weâÂÂre going to have to stand you down because the Fonz is so good.â Happy Days? Not for me and my double knock back by Radio Belfast. IâÂÂll get over

it.  The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. HereâÂÂs the plan for this week. _"Did I ever tell you about the time I..."_ MONDAY Write a

450-word piece on any Barcelona news ahead of the final and a 600-word piece on BarçaâÂÂs likely tactics. Interview Brian Kidd in Manchester. HeâÂÂs just finished the season helping

keep Portsmouth up and will be travelling north to be back with his family. BrianâÂÂs a great man and his family are spot on. When I was 21, I went out with his daughter. She came back to

the house I rented with mates, where they had kindly put pictures of her dad on the walls. She thought I was a freak. TUESDAY Get up at 5am and fly to Italy ahead of the Champions League

final. My Dad will give me a lift to the airport as there are no trains so early. Fly. Catch a four-hour train to Roma Termini and check into a hotel. Watch United train/do a press

conference. Write.  Meet mates for a beer in Rome. IâÂÂm deliberately not travelling with them because IâÂÂve got the workload of a political expenses secretary to get through, while

theyâÂÂre going on a session. WEDNESDAY Write and make video diary for Channel M. Have a look around Rome.  Saviour the 2009 European Cup final. Get quotes off as many players as possible

after the game, including Lionel Messi to add to his forthcoming interview in _FourFourTwo_. âÂÂSo, Lionel, how did it feel when John OâÂÂShea skipped past you, then Xavi and Puyol before

slamming the winner in from 30 yards?â  Give tape to an editor from Channel M so that it can be sent straight back to Manchester for editing and broadcast on Friday.  Hopefully celebrate.

Go to bed very late, regardless of the result. It was 3.30am in Moscow last year as the game didnâÂÂt finish until 1am. THURSDAY Up at five. The Metro wonâÂÂt have started, so take a taxi

to Roma Termini for a train north to Florence. Write for the full journey, while swilling quality Italian coffee to keep awake. Then take a connection to Pisa, file more copy at the airport

there before a flight to Manchester. Write on the flight. This will be a busy day. Watch UnitedâÂÂs homecoming in Manchester. Possibly. _"He's wasted in defence, that

O'Shea..."_ FRIDAY Train from Manchester to London. My fiancée has never been on a train before. ItâÂÂs not that sheâÂÂs too posh for a rattler or anything, they just donâÂÂt

have trains in Brazil. SheâÂÂll meet family in London, IâÂÂll meet my publishers and go to the Footballer of the Year award. I donâÂÂt go every year, but itâÂÂs alright once in a while.

Watch Steven Gerrard' presented with the award. I like Gerrard and heâÂÂs one player IâÂÂd love to see at Old Trafford, but he wonâÂÂt come as he has an aversion to league titles. Be

tempted to sing Nemanja Vidic songs to him. Instead ask him why he wasnâÂÂt at the premiere of _Awaydays_ on Thursday, when every lad in Liverpool seemed to be. As was Shaun Ryder.

SATURDAY Watch all the happy Everton fans arriving at Euston for the FA Cup final before catching a train to Manchester. Miss younger brother SamâÂÂs final Manchester United trial at

Carrington. HeâÂÂll play against UnitedâÂÂs U15s. He received a letter this week from United confirming his success in the first two trials. It will be framed.  I would have watched Arnau

Riera in the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park if the loon hadnâÂÂt got himself booked for diving in the semi-final. HeâÂÂs been FalkirkâÂÂs man of the match several times recently and

is a real fan favourite. He was last spotted dancing around the pitch at Inverness on Saturday as Falkirk moved off the bottom of the table stayed up⦠by beating Inverness and sending

them down. Arnau is out of contract this summer. Sunderland held that contract as they have loaned him to Falkirk. Hopefully his decent form will put him in good stead for getting a contract

at Falkirk or elsewhere. WeâÂÂd have him at Manchester La Fiana, who just finished third in the Barcelona International Football league under the fine stewardship of Scotsman Stephen Love.

Jordi Cruyff played in the league this season, but weâÂÂll let Arnau finish his proper career first. SUNDAY Fly from Manchester to Barcelona. Raise a massive red, white and black tricolour

from the front of my apartment⦠in a massive Barca stronghold. Switch my brain off and sleep. ---------------------------------------------- FOURFOURTWO.COM: MORE TO READ... Confessions

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