FOOTBALL, the beautiful game as it is known, isn't always so radiant and ravishing. Haunted by recent tales of scandal, feuding and off-pitch strife, whatever happened to the days when all it was about were the 22 men on the field?

It's no longer the match reports that dominate the back pages of the national tabloid press. Instead we have to delve several pages further into the paper to get to the information we really want: results, goal scorers and, for the more anorak element, those essential attendance figures.

This week's tabloids have reported the further eruption of the volcanic relationship between Manchester United's Alex Ferguson and Arsenal's French manager, Arsene Wenger. The situation has been at boiling point since October when the London side met with United in the Premiership at Old Trafford.

This was the defining moment when the Battle of the Buffet took place and Ferguson was pelted with pizza and soup by members of the opposition. What happened to those famous prawn sandwiches, I ask?

Since then relations have gone from bad to worse as the feud rages on, with mud slinging from every angle of the Premiership playground. But is this animosity strictly as infantile and childish as it seems or is Fergie once again unnerving his closet rival in yet another psychological battle.

As Wenger is seen by the football world as the arch-technician, Ferguson is the undoubted king of psychology. In 1996, the United boss famously unnerved Newcastle United's Kevin Keegan, who buckled under the pressure of Ferguson's mind games and was seen red faced and frenzied on camera saying, "I'd love it if we beat them. Love it."

From this point on, Ferguson knew he had won the battle as Newcastle threw away their lead and missed out on that coveted title.

But let's remember, as it stands, Ferguson and Wenger are only battling for second place, and perhaps the only ones benefiting from the disruption are Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea team.

It was good to see the football minnows grabbing a few headlines this week. The great leveller, the FA Cup, always produces dramatic Boy's Own stories, none better than the princes v paupers tie, where Exeter achieved a replay against Manchester United at their St James' Park home.

Although the Conference side lost the game 2-0, the two matches against the Premiership giants netted the club £750,000 which has cleared their debts and will enable the club to stabilise at last.

I have to admit a hint of envy crept in as I looked on, wondering why my beloved Minstermen weren't experiencing such an occasion and a dramatic windfall. However, we've had our own bit of luck this week, coupled with media frenzy, as the entire nation has suddenly taken interest, due to our new partnership with Nestle and the re-naming of the ground to KitKat Crescent.

But why does it have to take a cup run or association with a major brand to get a share of the limelight?

There needs to be a wake up call that football isn't all about the Premier League. Yes, they are the big boys and their attendances for one game often outstrip some teams figures for a season, but the plight of clubs in the lower leagues is worthy of as many column inches as boardroom bun fights.

As the Premier League hot air balloon drifts off into the upper stratosphere, leaving the rest of us behind, Wrexham Football Club are yet another team facing extinction. As well as being in the throws of administration, the club faces eviction in less than 200 days as owner Alex Hamilton seeks to sell their Racecourse ground to property developers for £6 million.

Although fans from a host of clubs are set to show an act of solidarity by attending Wrexham's home game on January 29 in order to assist the ailing Welsh side, the question has to be asked where are the Football Association and what are the supposed guardians of our national game doing to help this club in crisis?

Having no doubt spent far too much time dealing with the indiscretions of their ex-chief executive, Mr Palios, and the Sven and Faria affair, it's about time they knuckled down to assist the needs of clubs in trouble and introduced ways of preventing rogues raping the game. But don't hold your breath. Sadly I fear it will be another case of sweet FA and fans to the rescue.

The fee for this column is donated to York city's Youth Development Fund.

Updated: 08:33 Saturday, January 22, 2005