On red alert

Manchester United solicitor Maurice Watkins is at it again.

Recently, we applauded his decision not to hog all the United-related publicity and share it with his colleagues at James Chapman & Co.

But when it came to Sir Alex Ferguson signing his three-year contract, it was very much Mr Watkins (left) taking centre-stage again, especially as it was to the eminence grise of football lawyers that the manager turned when he decided that he did not want to retire.

Mr Watkins' look-a-like Peter Kenyon, the club's chief executive, makes up the happy trio, presumably snapped before Arsenal took an ominous lead in the league.