What's wrong with Manchester United?
Back to reporting today. First time since the spring, I think, since I've been editing the programme at 5pm.
Also the first day back after two weeks on holiday in Slovenia.
And my first story was the police's preparations for the United game against Roma tomorrow.
Now you might have thought, mightn't you, that Manchester United would be jolly keen on this sort of thing. A chance for the club to back better police and so on.
You might have thought that, but this is Manchester United we're talking about. And while it's top of the Premiership in arrogance, it's in danger of relegation from whatever the Vauxhall Conference is called now in logic and helpfulness.
We interviewed a few fans about what they were expecting tomorrow. They were all pleased to chat outside the ground.
Then a security guard came out. He'd been ordered to tell us to stop filming outside. Outside Old Trafford there's an area that's paved and owned by United. We had to film only on the pavement.
We did, although I said how pointless and pathetic it was. The security guard agreed.
Then another security guard came out and said the club owned the pavement too. I doubted that. So I told him. I said we'd carry on filming there unless someone could prove the pavement was United property. Eventually he came back and took my name, my boss's name and my phone number.
I await a call from some press officer or other.
Why does Manchester United have to be so pointlessly officious? It truly is pathetic.
Yet it still manages to get lots of people from all over the world to more or less worship it. I met a couple of Norwegians, some Canadians and even some Mongolians. The Mongolians even had their photo taken with me.
Before we started to film, I noticed a man on a bike riding by. He was on the United paved area, by the way. I heard him clear his throat and then saw him spit violently at the United door. Not a fan, I take it.
I'm beginning to see where he's coming from.
To see my report, go to http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1213934526/bctid1213998931