JOHN Terry doesn't think much to our chances of winning Euro 2004. We lack a big target man up front and Portugal should be favourites to lift the trophy, he says.

No, not that John Terry - the Chelsea star is too busy battling to regain fitness in Portugal to talk to the Diary.

We are talking about the 68-year-old retired printer John Terry, from Almsford Road, York.

Our John used to be pretty handy down the left hand side of Feethams Field, Clifton, for York Minster Choir School football team a few years back. And he will be watching "as much as I can" of Euro 2004.

So how does he rate the chances of an England triumph? "I'm afraid on present showing, not too highly," he said. "We don't seem to be getting the best out of games."

However, he knows what Sven is lacking. "He needs a good tall front player. Michael Owen, he's on the short side, although he's very fast.

"They could do with somebody who can deal out a bit of stick, like Ruud van Nistelrooy," said the Manchester United fan.

John, who used to work as a lithographer at both Ben Johnsons and the York Herald, is full of praise for his England namesake. "He's a good player, a 105 per cent man," he said,

Although people comment on the name, John is rarely mistaken for the international footballer. "I haven't got quite as much hair as he has."

TALKING of names, could England make history in Euro 2004? They could field a squad bearing the greatest number of players whose surnames could also be first names. The Diary makes it five: John Terry, Gary Neville, Phil Neville, David James and Michael Owen.

FOOTBALL fever is failing to sweep the south west corner of France. Nora Bradshaw lived in York for many years, working at the university and as a freelance researcher. Now she suns herself in the south-west corner of France, in the Bearn, about 50 miles inland from Biarritz.

"Don't ask me about the football, laddie - they're not talking about it much in my presence - rugby's the big game down here though I'm sure there must be some interest in it," she tells the Diary.

HAVING given some more thought to the lack of St George's flags for cyclists, the Diary has hit on an idea. Using pipe cleaners it must be possible to attach a small flag to each side of my spectacles.

All that's stopping me are the words of Martyn Miller from yesterday's Diary... "Cyclists often looked silly enough."

RUBBISH is in the news again, with the Labour and Lib Dem councillors clashing over the state of York's streets.

But what about the state of York's river banks? A reader sends in the photograph on the right with these words: "This picture was taken on Monday morning on a beautiful stretch of the bank of the River Ouse at Rawcliffe Landing.

"What form of human being could leave such a disgusting sight? They are the scum of the earth."

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: 10:08 Friday, June 11, 2004