NEWTOWN Sports Junior Football Club must be feeling a little like Bayern Munich after they lost the 1999 Champions League final to Manchester United after two extra-time goals.

Having secured the agreement of Malvern Hills District Council to the long-term lease of the playing fields at Sling Lane last July, there they were in complete control of the game.

But, like Manchester United, Sling Lane residents were not resigned to losing and they had their own answer to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Enter MHDC leader Tom Wells to turn the result on its head at the last minute!

The Sling Lane residents do have a fair point about the importance of open access public space, but you have to feel a little sorry for Newtown Sports. That's football and that's politics!

MALVERN in Bloom is an initiative which could make a real difference to the town. It has been a huge success in Ledbury and is being picked up with enthusiasm in Upton and Bromyard.

While Malvern Town Council deserves praise for its efforts to get the idea off the ground, it has so far failed to really catch the public imagination.

Past efforts have been concentrated on businesses but while it is important that they should be involved, Malvern in Bloom will never really take off until local people have a bigger role, not just as participants but as organisers too.

We would like to ask our readers what they would like to see. What themes? What kind of competitions? Are there people who would like to get more involved or do they really not care? Let us know, this is a real opportunity.