ON the eve of York City's big kick-off, the Diary is sticking to its infallible method of judging the merit of football teams: count how many players have a surname that could also be a Christian name.

Five of England's Euro 2004 squad (John Terry, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, David James and Michael Owen) qualified.

And England would have reached the semis at least had David Beckham not been wearing moon boots during the penalty shoot out.

Disappointingly, however, only Adam Arthur and Bryan Stewart have the versatility to switch names among York City's Nationwide Conference squad.

Good news, though. Their first opponents Aldershot Town only have one squad member with a reversible monicker - Chris Giles. So the Diary predicts a 2-1 win to City.

Mind you this does go against our other footballing observation: that all the sides who finished bottom of their division last season were also last in an alphabetical list of team names (Premiership: Wolves; Division One: Wimbledon; Division Two: Wycombe; Division Three: York).

Until Nottinghamshire village Zouch stump up a professional football team, it is probably best not to dwell on this.

YOU'VE got to hand it to David Bellamy - and modern technology. Yesterday he filed a piece for the Evening Press on why he thinks global warming is a myth.

We had a little trouble contacting the bearded prof, and when an email from him finally arrived we found out why: "I will do my best but am sitting at the top of a mountain at the moment. Cheers, David."

Later he sent 500 words to us - not to mention 1,000 words on wasps to the Daily Mail. As Lenny Henry used to say when impersonating David, "Gwapple me gwapenuts!"

CORONATION Street's Harry Flagg bade an emotional farewell to Weatherfield last week.

The Rovers Return pot man departed in a camper van on a trip around the world, having failed to woo love interest Eileen to go with him.

The Diary can now report that he has not globe trotted very far. Iain Rogerson, the actor who brought Harry to life, was spotted earlier this week in Sainsbury's, Monks Cross.

EMOTIONS will be high, too, in Blackpool this weekend. Eddie "T" Vee, York's Elvis Presley impersonator, will be taking part in events at the seaside resort to mark the anniversary of the singer's death in 1977.

Eddie is compering some of the shows at the Elvis Experience in the Winter Gardens. He is also looking after Karen Sue Presley, Elvis's cousin, in Britain for the first time.

On Tuesday, the Elvis Academy will be performing at the Post Office Working Men's Club on Marygate. Eddie, Jim Santana, Jay Ashton, Paul Bulmer and Dave Marshall are taking part. The show starts at 7.30pm and admission is £2.50.

By public demand Eddie will be back on the box on September 4, as part of the BBC's Test The Nation music special.

AFTER our piece revealing the hike in Yorkshire Water bills, this came from exiled Yorkie Annie Wright.

"A couple of weeks ago a hole appeared in St George's Place. A few days later, Yorkshire Water sent residents its 'Don't worry we are looking into it' letter promising urgent action.

"Each weekday (never at weekends) a few guys turn up, look into the hole, listen to the rushing waters below, mutter, shake their heads and leave...

"So what's the hole for? Is it a trial hole to deposit the 30 per cent increase in water charges directly into the sewers? Just when will Yorkshire Water get off its liquid assets? The public has a right to know."

Write to: The Diary, Chris Titley, The Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York YO1 9YN

Email diary@ycp.co.uk

Telephone (01904) 653051 ext 337

Updated: 11:52 Friday, August 13, 2004