According to the Daily Record, Dundee striker Derek Lyle was recently unable to play in a Scottish Football Cup match after falling through a glass coffee table and sustaining a number of deep cuts to his stomach. Lyle was rushed to hospital to have shards of glass removed from a wound that required 16 stitches and the 27-year-old was in hospital for two days. “I was messing about with one of my pals when we tripped on a rug and I went through the coffee table,” said Lyle about the rather unusual injury. His stitches were removed a few days later.

Johan Cruyff will not be returning to Dutch giants Ajax as a consultant after all. “Decisive action needs to be taken. I have a clear plan, but my vision for football is not shared by those who would have to implement it,” said the 60-year-old, who in February had agreed to take charge of reorganising the Amsterdam football club. The man who led the Netherlands to second place at the 1974 FIFA World Cup™ had planned to return the club’s focus to youth development work. Cruyff had also played a key role in persuading current Netherlands coach Marco van Basten to sign a four-year contract as Ajax manager, with the former striker due to take over after EURO 2008 in Switzerland and Austria. Cruyff began his glorious football playing career at Ajax in 1964 and returned as manager between 1985 and 1988.

Haiti’s politicians organised a state funeral for Emmanuel Sanon on 5 March. The former Haitian international, who died of cancer at the age of 56 on 21 February, is the only man to have scored for his home country at the FIFA World Cup™. Although he scored against Argentina at the 1974 FIFA World Cup™ in West Germany, the striker will always be remembered as the man who finally beat Dino Zoff after the Italian goalkeeping legend went 1,143 minutes without conceding a goal. Sanon even gave Haiti the lead against the Squadra Azzurra before Italy eventually ran out 3-1 winners. The funeral, which was held at the Haiti national stadium, was also broadcast live on TV. His wife and four children were joined by Sanon’s team-mates from 1974 and a number of Haitian politicians were also on hand to pay their last respects to a true national hero.