Week in, week out

HOOPS FANS JUMP THE GUN AND LIVERPOOL RED-FACEDA MORTON fan called a radio phone-in last Thursday to express his disgust at the number of times he'd read or heard someone say that Dunfermline had missed out on a glamour clash with Celtic after being thrown out the Scottish Cup for breaching the rules.

Celtic, of course, still have to play Morton in the fourth round.

"I saw one Celtic fan say he was disappointed Dunfermline had been thrown out the cup because he had been really looking forward to a trip to Fife," said the Morton supporter. "Well I'm looking forward to seeing you at Cappielow first ya tube."

You imagine the Morton fan will have been delighted to see Liverpool get knocked out the FA Cup after they, too, started counting their chickens before they had hatched.

It has emerged Liverpool officials began advertising tickets for the fourth-round clash with Burnley hours before their extra-time defeat by Reading. So confident were they that Rafa's men would ease past the struggling Championship side on Wednesday night they emailed season-ticket holders just after 5pm, urging them to place advance orders.

"I didn't read it until after the game," said Reds fan Martin Jones. "When I opened it up I couldn't believe my eyes. It was bad enough to crash out the cup but then for the club to try and sell me tickets for the next round was like a slap in the face. It's not only embarrassing for the club, it's disrespectful to Reading."

PROFITING FROM FEAR

As if the Togo shooting ahead of the African Cup of Nations was not bad enough, concerns that a climate of fear and danger is building up around next summer's World Cup have been heightened after a company started selling supporters stab-proof vests in their country's colours.

England fans heading to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa in June can purchase a stab-proof vest with the St George's cross on the front.

The vests – which go by the name 'Protektorvest' – have provoked outrage among supporters. Michael Brunskill of the Football Supporters' Federation said: "Wearing a stab-proof vest with an England flag on would be like going around with a target on your chest. It does not fit in with the ethos of going over there for a carnival of football. You do not want to go worrying about being stabbed and buying equipment to protect yourself."

Sascha Cutura, co-founder of Protektorvest, believes the vest is a must-have for fans travelling to the finals. "We are getting lots of interest in this from around the world," Cutura insisted. "Football fans can get into trouble. They can be drunk and rowdy. If they approach situations with the wrong attitude it could go horribly wrong."

MAYBE LUCKY 13 FOR CLUBS

Few teams will be more pleased to see the back of the cold weather than Johnstone Burgh and Vale of Clyde. Their Emirates Junior Cup second-round tie has been postponed 12 times at four different venues. It has now been set for this Saturday at Petershill's synthetic surface in the north of Glasgow. Fingers crossed.