For those who don't read the business pages, Manchester United are more or less in Rupert Murdoch's pocket. By Tuesday he had netted 44.6 per cent of the shares in the Premiership club. Unless the British government steps in now dealers believe that a rival bid is unlikely.

The current position leaves BSkyB only 5.4 per cent short of victory. Manchester United will then go the way all of Murdoch's investments have gone - and how is that?

In the recent edition of The Journalist, the issue was summed up in a joke which portrayed Murdoch and his supporters attending a Manchester United match. They are discussing what players Alex Ferguson will use in his starting side when Murdoch leans over and asks: "Do we really need 11 players?"