Chris Borg writes: MPs and football – it's never the best of combinations. Whenever there's an election in the offing, candidates suddenly can't stop gushing about their undying love for their constituency's football club, and you can guarantee that a few dodgy cliches will get an airing.
The home secretary, Charles Clarke, duly obliged in Norwich today. Along with Ian Gibson, his fellow Labour candidate in the Fine City, Mr Clarke was attending a photocall to publicise the fact that Delia Smith – Norwich City FC's joint majority shareholder – has given her support to Labour's bid for a third term in office. "I'm over the moon," he said. No, honestly, he did.
Delia is best known this season for her impassioned on-pitch "let's be 'avin you" appeal to Canaries fans at half time against Manchester City (for the record, it didn't work – we lost 3-2). She said she was looking forward to Labour "tackling pressing sporting issues in the next parliament", adding that "grassroots sports – and, in particular, football – have long been starved and neglected".
Sport, she said, "always encourages a vibrant community and sense of belonging". And she should know that more than most – it's precisely what she's done so much to revitalise at Norwich. Given last night's high Carrow Road drama (a crucial injury-time winner against Newcastle), it was a wonder she was looking so calm and relaxed at today's photocall.
But anyone thinking of writing a "Delia says: 'Come on you Reds'" headline should abandon that thought immediately. And I do mean immediately. On Saturday, City play Charlton at home in a game that's likely to prove pivotal to our chances of avoiding relegation from the Premiership. I don't think I need to tell you what colour Charlton play in.
Chris Borg is a lifelong Norwich City fan
