Early Doors

It is the Cup final controversy that never was. In extra time Ryan Giggs scuffed a Wayne Rooney shot at Petr Cech, then bundled into Petr Cech. Was it over the line? Was he fouled by Michael Essien? Frankly, no referee would ever have awarded a penalty, and if the ball crossed the line it was only because Giggs clattered Cech. So much for a repeat of 1966, it bore more resemblance to Nat Lofthouse's infamous Cup final winner for Bolton in 1958, when he shoved United keeper Harry Gregg into the net - only that time the goal stood.

But for Monday's tabloids the FA Cup's magical return to Wembley meant only one thing - gratuitous pictures of inebriated footballers enjoying a post-match snifter. The Sun pictured a bleary-eyed Frank Lampard leaving a Chelsea party - with the ingenious caption "Ol' Booze Eyes", and also snapped Ashley Cole tearing into a McDonald's burger. The Mirror, meanwhile, show Wayne Rooney living up to his hard-man credentials with a sorrow-drowning glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Still, it seems Manchester United have finally got their man. Despite winning the Premiership without a defensive midfielder on their books, the Reds' midfield should be stiffened by the curiously-accented Owen Hargreaves' arrival. Mind you, if they had swooped this time last year when the Bayern man was every England fans' worst nightmare, they might have paid £1.7 million rather than the £17m they are set to splash out.

Foreign view: The Spanish papers' unashamed partiality never ceases to amaze or amuse. Catalan daily Sport reacts to Barcelona's demolition of Atletico Madrid with the headline "To the champions!", while Real Madrid-loving Marca leads with the understated "This Madrid kills you!" after a 3-2 win against mighty Recreativo. Still, at least they've got a proper title race.

Must-read: Overdue, overhyped and overpriced - yet our man at the Cup final Mike Hytner still found time to appreciate the new Wembley. Click the link above to read the full story.

Coming up: Outside of Ireland's Eircom League, it is a day devoid of live football. So why not devote 90 minutes to exploring our swish new website?