Obiter received an anonymous tip-off last week asking whether 'Anthony Hughes, a [newly-appointed] director of Preston North End, is by any chance related to Anthony Hughes, managing partner of Ricksons in Preston, who is such a devoted fan [and season-ticket holder] at Manchester City? What will he do if they ever play in the same division? Is this not a conflict of interest?' At the moment this is only a theoretical conflict as Preston are in Division One, although after City's brush with relegation from the Premiership last season, maybe not for too much longer. Meanwhile, Mr Hughes says he was happy to take up the Preston post - like a true blue, he says he would have become a director 'at any club other than Manchester United'. Then again, looking at how well Maurice Watkins has done, even that might be hard to turn down.