Spotting behaviour Denmark captain Morten Wieghorst has come up with the best excuse yet for missing a penalty.

He insists he meant to kick the ball wide.

And to give the skipper his dues he was doing it in the spirit of fair play.

Wieghorst felt the referee's decision to award Denmark a spot-kick in their Carlsberg Cup game against Iran was unfair.

And why?

Because an Iranian defender picked up the ball after mistaking a whistle in the crowd for a blow-up from the referee.

"It was unfair to try and capitalise on that," said nice guy Wieghorst.

"The Iranian player had no idea what had happened."

Gary Lineker would have been proud of Wieghorst's chivalry but maybe Denmark boss Morten Olsen would not agree.

Denmark went on to lose the match 1-0 - oops!

Who's a naughty boy?

The high school hoops career of basketball sensation LeBron James has ended sooner than he would have liked.

James, who is expected to be the first pick in this year's NBA draft, has been punished for accepting a gift of two replica sports jerseys worth $845.

Hey Mom - you forgot my lunch money!

American high school and college basketball's strict rules mean he is now ineligible for the remainder of the season.

James, 18, who plays for St Vincent-St Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, is seen as a potential NBA great in the Michael Jordan mould.

But this is not his first brush with basketball's authorities.

Earlier this year, he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Ohio High School Athletic Association for accepting a $50,000 sports utility vehicle as a gift.

His explanation? 'My mom bought it for me.'