Is it me or are vast parts of the nation going mad?

Locally, mass hysteria has broken out over the putting down of a police dog (the only option in my opinion), whilst nationally at the end of last week tens of thousands of apparently sane football fans took to touching a picture of David Beckham's injured foot at an allotted hour.

The architect of this attempt at psychic healing was none other than the old spoon bender himself Uri Geller.

Now back in the Seventies, in the days when he and David Cassidy shared the same haircut, I'll admit that he could fix a few knackered watches and do the old trick on the cutlery, but when it comes to our national game his psychic track record isn't exactly worth bragging about. One only has to look at the fortunes of his favourite league team, Reading.

Needless to say, if I possessed the alleged powers he claims to have the Albion would be playing in the Champions League.

The Beckham saga is just part and parcel of football. True he is a gifted player, perhaps one of the best this country has ever had, but there was an England team before him and I'm sure the three lions will still be represented long after he has retired.

But last week, when he got injured, the reaction of a number of people almost trivialised the death of the Queen Mother. It was as if civilisation had almost stopped at the prospect of David Beckham missing the Champions League final and possibly the World Cup finals.

As the Albion proved over the Easter period there is no such thing as a one man team. If Becks doesn't make it, although Uri remains optimistic, it won't be the first time England have had to survive in a tournament without their best player.

Numerous forty-something Spurs fans are forever claiming that Jimmy Greaves was one of the prolific forwards to ever grace this country yet England had its finest footballing hour with him sitting it out on the sidelines.

I want Beckham to play because he is that good, but by the same token I certainly won't give up hope if he doesn't make it. England still have a large number of quality players in their squad, pinning a nations hopes on one particular player is no good for either the player or for the rest of the squad for that matter.

Millwall fans have a chant which goes something like "No-one likes us." One look at the Division 2 PFA team and I wouldn't blame a couple of the current Albion squad for striking up with the same tune.

Congratulations to Bobby Zamora and Danny Cullip for being selected in the team, but even putting aside my obvious bias I cannot fathom out why Messrs Kuipers and Watson haven't joined them?

Back in my Gulls Eye days I can recall being told by an ex-Albion boss that as fanzine editors Peter Kennard and I didn't really understand what was really happening because we weren't, and I quote, 'Football people.'

In the years that have passed I have realised that this theory is always put forward by people within the pro game when they are losing an argument. Although I take nothing away from and admire the ability that's required to play pro football it is not the big mystery that some inside the game would have you believe.

Therefore how anyone, whether they are watching football in Division Two or actually playing it, cannot see that Michel Kuipers is the best keeper in this division by a country mile staggers me, never mind Paul Watson's claims.

It probably down to envy, temporary ground, not a huge budget and a limited capacity. Yet the Albion have topped everyone and won the league!

Never mind Michel and Paul and better luck next year. At least you can go home and look at your back-to-back championship medals which is more than can be said for the overwhelming majority of the players in Division Two!