FORGET the £90m player and the £300,000 a week pay packet.

It was the weekend the Premier League went head to head with real sport. And sport won hands down.

Naturally the return of the billionaires’ playground was trumpeted to high heavens by Sky TV and BT Sport and BBC delighted in the return of Match of the Day (including a fascination with one presenter’s underpants), but the true sporting action was taking place in Brazil.

When Justin Rose kissed his badge after winning golfing gold he really meant it. Not for the money – there isn’t any – but for the joy of adding his name to Britain’s pot of gold.

And anybody who doubted Andy Murray’s passion for Games and country clearly didn’t stay up long enough to see him win his second Olympic gold by defeating Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro.

It was gripping entertainment from two men who gave everything they had for the love of their sport.

Our cyclists were almost unstoppable – who could fail to be thrilled at the pulsating races around the velodrome? Jason Kenny won an all-British sprint race off with team mate Callum Skinner to add his name to an impressive list of British riders.

Max Whitlock won double gold in gymnastics (our first-ever in the sport) and just behind him an emotional Louis Smith took silver. The rowers and sailors took to the water like it was their second home.

And then there was our Mo. Farah fell, got up again and went on to win the 10,000 metres.

Jessica Ennis Hill added silver to her London gold.

The list just grows and grows...

And remember 21-year-old swimmer Adam Peaty? He was the man who started the great gold rush. There was a suggestion that young Peaty may earn up to £1.5m next year. The same amount Zlatan Ibrahimovic could earn in six weeks without even scoring a goal.

Yet there are still people out there who just don’t get it. They have my sympathy.

Back in football’s private world, there was much excitement about a team who spent £145m in the summer playing against a team who spent just £30m. The team who spent £145m won by the way.

It was a victory that prompted one paper to spread the words: “Mourinho’s back where he loves to be... at the top and in control.” After one game – how good is that!

Arsenal, who lost 4-3 at home to Liverpool are, according to their manager “not ready” and champions Leicester, who lost at Hull, are now rubbish really.

One of the biggest stories of the opening day was about somebody who didn’t even play. New Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola left his England goalkeeper Joe Hart on the bench, which prompted a rush of opinion that the 29-year-old stopper, good enough to earn 63 England caps, could be on his way for £20m.

Premier League? Give me sport any day.

FOLLOWING their 44-26 win over Hunslet – their seventh win in a row – Barrow Raiders are lying third in the race for promotion from the Kingstone Press League One. It’s a good place to be. And to stay.

Should Paul Crarey’s men overtake Rochdale Hornets and grab second spot, they will then face the busy schedule of two visits to Toulouse in successive weekends.

It’s how the system works. Barrow’s last scheduled game is in the French city and the following week it is the first-versus-second clash for promotion.

That would be the one the Raiders would need to win to go up by right. If they lost, they would get another chance – and two home ties in the play-offs to decide the second promoted club.

Meanwhile, the seven lowest teams in League One are playing for a Shield and a £10,000 first prize.

Please, do your best to explain this to any non-RL friend who might ask. They may even be convinced to visit Craven Park to see if the sport is for real!