Top Bloke of the Season, Nominee A: Martin Atkinson

Thank you, Martin Atkinson, for refusing to believe that Paolo Di Canio could possibly have any grasp of sarcasm, and for fully exploiting the opportunity to send him to the stands.

Di Canio so often thinks himself the smartest person in the room - or stadium - but this was happily exposed as a fantasy through Mr Atkinson's beautiful refusal to indulge the Italian's childishness.

Given the ceaseless torrent of abuse we all send the way of  match officials, it's only right to not to overlook an opportunity to take your hat off to them in congratulation of a job well done.  I take back everything - mostly everything - I must have bellowed at you from the terraces over the years.  Until next time, of course.

Martin Atkinson.  Top bloke.

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Photo credit: Кондратенко Наталия

So glad to see Eto'o

Over the years, Samuel Eto'o really has made quite the impression on me.  It is therefore a pleasure not only to finally welcome him to the Premier League, but to see him reunited with a manager who brought out his best quality to the full.

Here's to seeing more of this every weekend this year.

Still, at least the Eto'o and Co. Amateur Dramatics Society will provide some relief from other nauseating focal points of the highlights reels - they just won't be able to squeeze it all in.

We should be grateful, in fact.  With Alan Hansen's sage wisdom finally fading away and the likes of Adebayor and Bale no longer there to grace our screens, smiling in disbelief at their failure to con their way to a free-kick, it was looking like it might just be the Paolo Di Canio Paranoia Extravaganza this year.

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Photo Credit: Tommy Klumker