Talk of the Town: Players didn't live the life of Reilly then

AS speculation rumbles on over why Wayne Rooney about-turned to accept a new pay deal from Manchester United, perhaps a clue lies in the new biography of a former Hibs favourite entitled The Life and Times of Last-Minute (Lawrie] Reilly?

One-club-man Lawrie touches on the issue of player loyalty saying: "Until the early 1960s no club in England was allowed to exceed the maximum wage which meant you got around 20 a week no matter who you played for. Rangers and Celtic couldn't cherry-pick the best as they do now either. Players may leave the team they support for a huge hike in their pay packet but they won't make that move if there is nothing in it for them financially."

Mike's chain reaction

IN between rushing through far-reaching changes in Scotland's legal system yesterday, MSPs found ten minutes to ask questions of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, which is in charge of the parliament building.

Lothians SNP MSP Ian McKee raised concerns about some of Holyrood's toilets. In some cases, he revealed, the only way to tell from outside whether a cubicle was occupied was to pull at the door.

"I'm told one lady MSP sings loudly when in such a toilet to let those outside know it is occupied."

Edinburgh South Lib Dem MSP Mike Pringle, on behalf of the SPCB, promised to look into the matter and said he might take up singing himself.

Music biz advice X-rated

SPECULATION had been rumbling about the new husband of Edinburgh-born singer Shirley Manson - until now.

The singer told a US chat show in May that she had wed "an American" in Las Vegas. And students at the University of West Scotland, Paisley, discovered yesterday that the American was in fact record producer Billy Bush, who has worked with the likes of Green Day and Muse. He was accompanying Manson as she gave a talk about making it in the music industry - and he had some tough lessons to hand out. "There's two things you have to accept in this industry," he said. "One is poverty and the other is failure."

You probably wouldn't hear that on the X Factor

Referee uses his loaf

WITH football refereeing controversy in the air, we like the tale told by one ex-whistler now based in the Capital but with experience of the Ayrshire junior leagues: "I couldn't understand why the opposition goalkeeper was getting pelted with bread . . . until it became apparent he and his goal area would then to be dive-bombed by seagulls!"

Cunning stuff, but it probably won't catch on at Easter Road or Tynecastle.