IT has been refreshing to see that, in between their coverage of poker tournaments and greyhound racing, obscure satellite sports channel Front Runner have recently dug into the archives to bring Indoor League back to our screens.

Hosted by ex-England cricketer and Pipe Smoker of the Year 1974 Fred Trueman, who was usually seen sporting a brown cardigan, brown shirt, brown trousers, holding a pint of brown beer and – in later series – sitting in a mostly brown studio, the show elevated humble pub games and their participants to hitherto unheard-of levels of prominence.

Unashamedly a product of its time - when else but the early to mid-1970s would it be acceptable for a presenter of a lunchtime show to drink and smoke? - it was produced and scripted by the future voice of darts Sid Waddell, which led to Trueman reeling off lines about "the biggest bonanza of sporting skill I've ever clapped eyes on".

And while now being known mainly as the programme which launched televised darts into the mainstream, with the likes of Alan Evans, Leighton Rees and Cliff Lazarenko among the more recognised players to have competed, some of the real highlights were to be found away from the oche.

Bar billiards, pool, table football – some two decades before Eurosport decided to show the latter – and different regional variations of skittles were among the regular features, the latter including a slightly bemused-looking Trueman being giving a demonstration of East Midlands cheese skittles by Bill Maynard.

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The actor's cameo pales in comparison to some of the more bizarre characters who descended on the Leeds Irish Centre to compete though.

A man by the name of Buffalo Bill, dressed in full cowboy gear, obviously, appeared in the shove ha'penny – predictably, he was rubbish – and a masked competitor known only as 'The Liquidator', perhaps in a nod to ITV's wrestling coverage on World Of Sport , took on all-comers at arm wrestling.

It was not just darts where familiar names cropped up though. The pool competition once featured a beardless John Virgo, who would have done well to remember his future catchphrase of: "Pot as many balls you can."

Sadly, Indoor League ran for just five years, and is regarded as little more than a footnote in television history, only to be occasionally dredged up for one of those sneering let's-all-laugh-at-how-rubbish-TV-was-back-in-the-day compilations.

Which is a shame really, because if ever there was a show which was ripe for a 21st Century revival, it's Indoor League . All of the traditional games would be included, but shove ha'penny might have to be axed due to ha'pennies having gone out of circulation in 1984.

Instead, coinage-based competitions could switch to the fruit machines. After all, how many of us have found ourselves transfixed by someone shovelling all their change into the Andy Capp-themed bandit in the corner of the pub while trying to net the £5 jackpot?

And continuing the theme of ex-England cricketers hosting, Andrew Flintoff seems the perfect candidate to take over.

As Trueman used say: "A'll si'thee then!"

* IT was at the start of June when the power was switched back on in the ITV Cycling cellar and presenter Gary Imlach was roused from the deep sleep which he had presumably been placed in since the end of the Tour de Yorkshire two months prior.

The nightly highlights of the Criterium du Dauphine, won this year by Danish rider Jakob Fuglsang, signalled not only that the premier Grand Tour of the year is a upon us, but also the network were priming themselves for the upcoming three weeks of wall-to-wall live coverage.

The cycling purists will, of course, tell you the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana are harder tests, but neither of them really come close to the Tour de France in terms of prestige and recognition.

The 21-stage, 3,540-kilometre slog around France - and, this year, some of Germany - never fails to provide plenty of drama and controversy, showcasing the very best and, sometimes, the very worst of the world of professional road racing.

Rather than being shut in a studio, the genial Imlach will be once again helming ITV's coverage from whichever town square or mountain road the finish for that day's stage happens to be, partnered, as ever, by ex-rider Chris Boardman.

Since ITV decided to opt out of the commentary from Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen - Ned Boulting and David Millar proving more than adequate replacements - Imlach's presence is the last lingering connection with when Le Tour was one of myriad little-recognised-on-these-shores sporting event Channel 4 shone a light on in its early years.

In a way, so is Boardman, who was the focus of coverage due to being the rare British rider at the time, and seemingly taking the Yellow Jersey in the opening time-trial every year before crashing and being forced to abandon during a later stage.

These days, seeing a British rider atop the podium in Paris has almost become expected thanks to the exploits of Sir Bradley Wiggins and, most recently, multiple winner Chris Froome.

Of course, it has hardly been plain sailing for Froome's Team Sky heading into this year's Tour, due to their run-in with the UK anti-doping authorities and the problems affecting governing body, British Cycling.

Whether or not the 32-year-old can go on to claim a fourth victory in the race with all those issues in the background is therefore very much up for debate.

But whatever happens over the next three weeks, starting this Saturday with the opening stage in Dusseldorf, the dynamic duo of Imlach - with his seemingly-limitless bank of witticisms and dry delivery - and Boardman will be there to guide us through it.

* NO sooner were the nation's football fans done basking in the reflected glory of England winning the Under-20 World Cup than normal service was swiftly resumed.

It may well have seemed as if the fate of the Three Lions' under-21 team was sealed as soon as it was confirmed they would be playing Germany in last Tuesday's European Championships semi-final - just over 21 years to the day since the senior side lost on penalties to the Germans at the same stage in Euro 96 as well.

And lo, it came to pass - having drawn 2-2 after extra-time, the contest proceeded to penalties and the England players duly went through what has almost become a rite of passage for any player representing the national team.

Tammy Abraham and Nathan Redmond also joined Stuart Pearce, Chris Waddle and Gareth Southgate on the list of Englishmen to have failed from the spot against the Germans, with Julian Pollersbeck saving their efforts.

On the positive side, the players are all now ready for the step up to the full England team, having already gained plenty of experience in the crushing disappointment that this inevitably brings.