Condi may have to watch Charlton

US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice may be forced to watch Charlton play as part of a British counterpart to an American initiative to build personal relations between her and her opposite number Jack Straw. Straw is about to undertake a personal tour of Alabama with Condi which will include her flipping a coin to decide who kicks off the (American) football game between Alabama and Tennesse.

A Foreign Office aide stated, 'Apparently she is a genuine [American] football fan. In return we may inflict on her Blackburn Rovers versus Charlton Athletic.'

Condi was formerly an international relations academic at Stanford University, subsequently becoming provost (a senior management post). As provost, she was certainly known for playing hard ball, according to local sources.

This is the not the first time that Charlton has been involved in high diplomacy in the recent past (leaving aside pre-war episodes). When Charlton signed an Iranian player, Karim Bhageri, who only appeared once as a substitute, it was suggested that the club was seeking supporters among the prosperous Iranian community in London (not completely far fetched).

However, unconfirmed reports suggested that the Foreign Office had considered getting Charlton to play a match in Iran as part of an initiative to improve relations. Stranger things have happened.