If you thought The Allardyce Affair – good title for a spy novel? – was a new low point for English football then brace yourself. There is almost certainly more to come.

Despite the shame of it all, the roof did not fall in on the game when Big Sam scurried off to his Spanish Villa and promises of a full scale clean-up make good headlines for a day or two. Although we were all ready to throw up our hands in horror when Allardyce was exposed it’s not as if the world of dodgy dealings is anything new to football.

Indeed there were still sympathisers for Big Sam who thought that the loss of his job was too high a price to pay.

Meanwhile the England team is in the safe hands of Gareth Southgate for at least the next four games. Voices behind the scenes speak of a parliamentary inquiry while others argue over the nationality of the next occupant of the England hot-seat.

Martin Glenn, chief executive of the Football Association and Wolves supporter, says he will be happy to co-operate with any inquiry into widespread allegations that have emerged from Allardyce’s 67-day career as England manager.

And while all that is sorted out the game goes on and England face the might of Malta this weekend. Do we even need a manager for that game?

Arsene Wenger’s name is in the frame but so is Ralf Rangnick, a 58-year-old German who took Schalke to the European Champions League semi-final five years ago.

If the FA decide the job must go to an Englishman their choice is limited. Alan Pardew and Eddie Howe, the two operating in the Premier League don’t want the job, which leaves Glenn Hoddle, who has been there before in case you have forgotten, and out of work Steve Bruce as the only credible contenders.

No, it is going to take a lot more than Sam’s Shame, FIFA scandals, umpteen stories of world wide bribery and corruption and accusations of match fixing for the roof to fall in on football.

WE all like a good conspiracy theory and there is no better place to find one that in the world of Formula One racing.

After he was forced to retire from the Malaysian Grand Prix world champion Lewis Hamilton said: “My question is to Mercedes. We have so many engines made but mine are the only ones failing this year. Someone needs to give me some answers because this is not acceptable. It does not sit right with me.”

There is never really a good time to have a moan but there are some worse than others. After a defeat is probably the worst.

So is Lewis Hamilton just a sore loser because he complained about his Mercedes engine catching fire in the Malaysian Grand Prix? Judge for yourself.

BARROW Raiders’ defeat in Toulouse means that they will spend at least one more year in League One.

Paul Crarey’s men made a brave attempt against the odds to get into the Championship and their job was made all the tougher by a fixture list that needs a radical rethink now that Toronto Wolfpack are about to join the challenge.

The trip to Toulouse, delays and a mad rush to get to the game on time didn’t help but as the French side should have been promoted as League winners anyway, the club can feel proud of a great season.

REGULAR visitors to this column know that we are no fans of statistics but, just for a change, here’s one. Did you know that Manchester United points tally of 13 after seven games is three fewer than Louis Van Gaal’s 2016 team had reached at the same stage?