An interesting appearance from the mystifyingly unemployed soccer supremo, Ian Holloway, on Sky Sports’ flagship nonsense shouting enterprise ‘the Debate’ (which as much follows the rules of a normal debate as two pissed up Doncaster Rovers fans screaming insults at each other in the door to a pub on Saturday night) shed new light on the rumbling Brexit fiasco after Holloway gave the EU credit for making a right mess of the handball rules in football.

Holloway was discussing a controversial handball decision from the weekend, and the interpretation of a new law. Holloway, in his impeccably researched remarks, said “I don’t think that’s our boys making up that new change of law. I think that’s people telling us what we need to do with our game.”

He went on to bring the conversation back to its obvious point of interest, Brexit, pointing out that this isn’t what people voted for when they wrestled with complex issues such as the future of the NHS and who gets the advantage in offside decisions during the referendum. 

In further unaired comments, Holloway expanded, “The train I got here is shit. I can’t wait till we leave. My mate Steve can’t get phone reception in the pub, the EU has gone too far, we need to break away. I mean, what has the EU ever done for us? Apart from workers rights, better education, healthcare and increased prosperity.”

Holloway’s incisive analysis raises questions about who precisely is behind these dodgy new rules – the International Football Association Board (chaired by a former English referee) or those beaureacrats from Brussels?