What did you think of the Sven Goran Eriksson/Kevin Keegan hoax phone call?

Was it a news story? Was it even funny? And should the BBC have re-broadcast it? Personally, I don't think so.

In the end it's an issue more about broadcasting than about sport but here goes anyway.

I almost mentioned it in passing from Tuesday morning's tabloid back-pages on BBC One's Breakfast but didn't , but only because I ran out of time. On reflection, I'm glad I was beaten by the clock.

Phone-in

ITN's 12.30 bulletin ran the story... and so did BBC1's Six O'Clock News. Ian Payne trailed it at the top of his Radio 5 Live show at 7pm, only for listeners to phone in and tell him he was out of order.

He then set up a listeners' vote... and "no" won the day. He left it alone... this website didn't.

Ian's listeners were right... bear with me while I try to explain.

First, hats off to the resourcefulness of Mike Maguire, from Century 104.5FM. I haven't got Mr Eriksson's private number. Have you?

Kevin Keegan impersonation

Most of us have done the "I'd love it, I'd really love it" Kevin Keegan impersonation and Mike Maguire's didn't sound much better to me than any other I've heard at well-lubricated Christmas parties, but he's clearly a lateral thinker... and he's got some front.

So he got away with it and his boldness was worth its weight in publicity alone.

But what are we left with? Well, there was a news line of sorts. David Beckham is to continue as England captain it seems... though by then it sounded as if Mr Eriksson was beginning to rumble the hoax.

Have we learned something more about Mr Eriksson through this trick?

Has it exposed a flaw in his character, a gullibility, an inclination towards errors of judgement which might colour his ability to win the World Cup for England?

Irreverent in tone

In other words, was this investigative journalism masquerading as a hoax, justifying a surreptitious recording?

Of course not. It was a joke.... and just to show there are no hard feelings, dinner is on Mike Maguire next time Sven Goran is in the North West.

But was it funny? Well.... yes... I suppose so but in a way that made me feel uncomfortable and the more manic "Keegan" became about Pavarotti, the Three Tenors, Gazza and Jimmy Five Bellies, the more you could hear the doubt in Eriksson's responses, which were getting shorter and shorter.

The idea was cheeky and more irreverent in tone than malicious but personally I can't get off on laughing at people when they've got no opportunity to laugh back.

Humour by humiliation is cheap and easy, unless a corrupt, foolish or pompous target deserves it. And Mr Eriksson is none of these things.

Publicity coup

Maguire's stunt was more banana-skin than satire and the England coach stayed on his feet.

After all, why shouldn't Mr Eriksson welcome a friendly call from Kevin Keegan?

And why shouldn't he be briefly deceived by the impersonation over an international phone-line?

So perhaps the joke's on Kevin Keegan? OK... fair enough... but isn't that a little old hat? Other issues.

Wasn't the BBC - and other broadcasters come to that - just falling for Century's publicity coup?

Openness

And how will this colour Mr Eriksson's future relationship with the English media?

He'll be a remarkable man if he doesn't now withdraw just a little of the openness and goodwill of last week's news conference after this.

We've had mistrust, suspicion and contempt shape our media's relationship with England managers before and look where it got us.

I was hoping for something new.

I know I'm sounding like a tedious grump but for me it boils down to this.

Sneer replaces the smile

As a foreigner new to this country, never mind as the England coach, Mr Eriksson deserves our welcome, our encouragement and our respect.

The hoax and its re-broadcasting offered him instead an early glimpse of how the sneer has replaced the smile in modern England and its national game.

This was the humour of the fan behind the goal who stands with his arms raised high and wide when the opposition's forward misses the target.

Harmless enough in the grand scheme of things of course but still coarse and unoriginal.

But this early shot across the bows will have made Mr Eriksson aware of one thing, though he probably knew it anyway.

His friends don't work in the English media. But did he know that they listen to Ian Payne on 5 Live?