FROSTY WELCOME

Mr Jobsworth is alive and well and has moved to the DW Stadium in Wigan. I had the pleasure of making his acquaintance after spending several hours in sub-zero temperatures reporting Everton's 1-0 win.

When a match is over at Wigan Athletic, they close the public gangways and the press have to make their way to the press room, on the ground floor, by walking down the stand to pitchside. Once there, the press room is easily reached by going down the players tunnel and from there it is a few paces along the corridor.

This simple route is however off limits. Mr Jobsworth, in his lovely pink dayglo tunic, informed me that press were not allowed to go through the double doors across the tunnel. Instead I was to walk down the side of the pitch the length of the stand to the far end, do a u-turn, and retrace my steps the same distance inside the stand. This brought me out on the other side of the same double doors.

Well done Mr Jobsworth!