GOD save the Queen from further rage.

The old girl has had me expectorating plumage on two occasions this week.

First. Sir Alex Ferguson.

You would have thought one Fergie had been enough for her to associate with.

My understanding is that knighthoods are awarded to people who have acted with honour in some sphere.

Of course, politics and peer pressure plays a huge part in the final selection.

And I know that her Buckingham Palace neighbours are largely Manchester United supporters, but surely there are more deserving candidates.

Ferguson has many qualities. He is shrewd, successful and has an uncanny knack of making me look rather foolish.

He is also arrogant, ruthless and lucky.

But he has never struck me as honourable.

The way Ferguson treated his former right hand man, when the draw at Ewood Park condemned Brian Kidd to relegation, were not the actions of an honourable man.

It is not honourable to berate referees for not allowing his precious charges another 30 seconds for an equaliser.

Neither is it honourable to degrade football with mind games that are as sophisticated as blowing raspberries.

Peevish, selfish, fractious - but not honourable.

Anyway, I do not think any professionals should be honoured for sporting achievement. It should be honour enough to be paid handsomely to play sport for a living. Such recognition should be reserved for the unpaid volunteers who toil for the good of their game - and writers who hold particularly strong views.

I feel better now.

Which is more than I could say on Saturday evening when Lizzy stuck her oar in again, although this time it wasn't strictly her fault.

Having followed the New Zealand clash with India throughout the day, and with a small stake on the Kiwis to win the World Cup to raise interest levels, imagine my mild displeasure when live coverage was replaced with highlights of the Trooping the Colour.

Did the BBC bid for this event on the basis that it involves horses in motion and they are set to lose the Grand National as well?

The Beeb should abandon the pathetic lip service paid to sport and leave it to the professionals.

All they need to do now is switch to the Boat Race, or some such triviality such as a Royal Wedding, when Anna Kournikova is on court and the cat goes through the telly.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.