Newcastle United have sacked a 17-year-old apprentice who tested positive for heroin last season. It was reported that Anthony Parry's addiction was discovered when he failed a random drugs test.

Parry's indiscretion might have been so much easier to deal with. Had he been caught in a Spanish brothel slagging off Newcastle women as dogs and laughing at the fans for being so easily duped into buying expensive replica gear, he could have been back playing by Christmas.